Reviews the preparation that students need before they go out on an archaeolgical dig. Includes two sequences of digging--one at an ancient Indian site in northern California and the other at an Anasazi Pueblo site near Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. Illustrates the full range of archaeological inquiry. c1987. 27 min. Video/C MM641

Cannibalism in the Canyon

What happened to the peaceful ancient Pueblo civilization of the American southwest? For 1,000 years, the Anasazi -- a democratic people with rich achievements in architecture, agriculture, astronomy and art -- flourished in what is now New Mexico. Yet around 1200 A.D., something brought their utopia to a sudden and mysterious end. Paleoanthropologist Christy Turner has found what he believes are clear signs of cannibalism among the Anasazi. Anthropologist Bruce Bradley demonstrates the marks left on bones from butchering. 2000. 60 min. Video/C MM255

The Chaco Legacy.

Examines the inhabitants of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and their high level of technical development achieved over 900 years ago. Shows their extensive water control system, the large network of roads they constructed and several mammoth structures they built. Includes a history of the different excavation projects. Originally broadcast as a segment of the Odyssey series in 1980. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 59 min. DVD X6662; Video/C 274

When a human skull was found by the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington in 1996, it turned out to be one of the oldest and most complete skeletons ever found in North America, igniting a firestorm of controversy pitting scientists against Native Americans. The scientists demanded the right to study the bones, while the Umatilla Tribe believed the bones to be sacred and ancestral. When the American government ruled the bones would be repatriated, eight scientists then filed a lawsuit in order to block the action. This documentary explores the cultural assumptions and differing opinions among the various groups involved, looks at the far-reaching implications for the future of anthropology and present-day relations between Native and non-native people. 2001. 86 min. Video/C 9188

The Mystery of Chaco Canyon.

This film examines the deep enigmas presented by the massive prehistoric remains found in Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. The film reveals that between 850 and 1150 AD, the Chacoan people constructed massive ceremonial buildings in a complex celestial pattern throughout a vast desert region. Aerial and time lapse footage and computer modeling show how the Chacoan culture designed, oriented and located these buildings in relationship to the sun and moon. Pueblo Indians, descendants of the Chacoan people, also speak of the significnce of Chaco to the Pueblo world today. Narrator: Robert Redford. 1999. 56 min. DVD 9778; vhs Video/C 6630

Inquires into the mystery of the unknown builders of ruins discovered by the Navajo Indians 300 years ago. Considers questions such as who these people were, what happened to them, and why they disappeared. 59 min. Video/C 258

Mystery of the First Americans

In 1996, near Kennewick, Washington, two college students stumbled across a human skull and forensic anthropologists not only identified it as Caucasian, but also discovered it is almost 10,000 years old. The discovery of the Kennewick Man, along with several other startling finds in recent years, has embroiled scientists in a bitter conflict with Native American groups who want the scientific study of early Americans halted. Originally produced as a segment on the PBS program Nova. 2000. 60 min. Video/C 7437

Myths and the Moundbuilders.

The huge earthworks and mounds scattered through the eastern half of the United States prompted people in the 19th century to speculate that a lost civilization had preceded the Indians then living among the mounds. Though we've know for some time that the ancestors of those Indians actually built the mounds, archaeologists are still exploring their contents for a better understanding of their builders. Originally broadast in 1981 as an episode of the television program Odyssey. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 60 min. DVD X6658; Video/C 346

Presents major areas where rock art and petroglyphs may be found in California, taken over a span of 24 years highlighting places where Native Californians have left traces of their lifeways and thought, and the often extraordinary beauty of these places. These visual records also have historic value presenting the work of pioneers in rock art studies, the discoveries that were made and return visits to old sites that were deteriorating and efforts at conservation that were being undertaken. Originally created between 1981-2004. DVD 3075

Rock Paintings of Baja California.

Examines the rock paintings at a recently discovered site in a remote area of Baja California. Provides a brief introduction to prehistoric rock paintings in various parts of the world and compares the style of the Baja paintings to those found elsewhere. Explains their age, how they were painted, and their significance to the Indians who painted them. Videorecording is a copy of the 1976 revised version of the motion picture issued in 1969 under same title. Directed by Flora Clar Mock. 17 min. Video/C MM807

Seeking the First Americans.

Archaeologists from Texas to Alaska search for clues to the identity of the first people to tread the North American continent - the early hunters who between 11,000 and 50,000 years ago crossed the Bering Strait in pursuit of game. 60 min. Video/C 238

Thieves of Time.

Introduction by Tony Hillerman. Traces the history of our country's fascination with Indian burial grounds and the recent legislation governing the ownership and study of our nation's past. 30 min. Video/C 3060

Who Owns the Body International Human Rights Conference (2000: University of California, Berkeley).

Native and other bodies: Addresses the track record of NAGPRA (Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act) and also looks at objects other than human remains as a kind of "cultural body," thus looking at NAGPRA as an internally consistent whole.

Native American remains and human rights: Despite the passage of NAGPRA Native Americans are still being confronted by scientists claiming a right to own or control dead Indian bodies in order to conduct experiments on them perpetuating a double standard which began with early North American exploration that treated Indian bodies as property, curios or archaeological artificts while dead bodies and graves of other citizens were protected by laws.

Human remains and NAGPRA: The chief archaeologist of the National Park Service explains the procedures and requirements of NAGPRA that requires the repatriation of Native American human remains and other cultural objects in public museum collections and those recovered from federal lands.

Bone courts and Native American sovereignty: Considers a proposal to establish a Bone Court -- a new federal judicial forum to hear and decide disputes over museum collections of human remains, repatriation, burial sites, research on bones and to protect native sovereignty. 180 min. Video/C 7410

Kennewick Man: NAGPRA was intended to return the remains of recent Native American dead to their nearest of kin but was not intended to hand over ancient human fossils to modern-day Indian tribes, yet that is how it is being interpreted by some. Much of the scientific community and American public feels ancient remains, which often cannot be linked to modern tribes, should not be summarily reburied for temporal political reasons. This talk addresses this conflict which came to a head with the case of the Kennewick Man, a ca. 9,500 year old skeleton.

History and repatriation of Ishi: A small group from the Pit River Tribe held a private ceremony last month to rebury Ishi, the last Yahi Indian. This paper offers one view of the campaign to repatriate Ishi and what it can tell us about anthropology, Native America, and the politics of memory and identity.

From performance to record: Ishi's music and speech: Between 1911 to 1914, T. T. Waterman and Alfred Kroeber recorded Ishi, his music and narration of stories. This talk examines the preservation of these recordings and their content.

Humanity of Ishi: Historical evaluation of Ishi's behavior challenges judgments that reduce his role to that of passive victim. Such reduction in fact is an inverse expression of the cliche of the "noble savage," and diminishes understanding of and respect for the unique individuality of Ishi's impressiveness as a human being. 153 min. Video/C 7411

Who Owns the Past?

Explores the attitudes and behavior of European Americans toward the remains of Native Americans from the earliest European settlement in America to the 1990's with the discovery of "Kennewick Man" by the Columbia River in Washington, whether those remains were located in burials or the result of death in battle. The late 20th century movement by Indians to reclaim their ancestors' remains succeeded to a considerable degree, but conflicts with goals of scientists continue. 57 min. Video/C 7454

Traces the journey of Lewis and Clark and other early pioneers of the land beyond the Mississippi who made their way across the plains that were home to buffalo, grizzly bear, pocket gophers, pronghorn antelope, and tribes of Mandan, Sioux and Pawnie. See how thousands of these determined settlers turned these wild lands into wheat fields. And understand why the destruction of the vast buffalo herds had such an impact on the Indian population who depended on them. 60 min. Video/C 2364

Before Columbus.

A 6 part series presenting the other side of the "discovery" saga as the native peoples of the Americas tell their own story of the destruction of their culture and their lands and of their growing efforts to fight back. 28 min. ea. Dist: Films Media Group.

Invasion. Invaders is what the white men were to the natives, who liked the trinkets they were given and had no inkling what they would have to give in return---their lands, their gods, their lives. The survivors have been turned into exotic objects by Hollywood, television, and tourism. As a modern-day analogue of white exploration and settlements centuries ago, this film tells of the Panara of Brazil, whose first contact with whites came in 1971. Video/C 2992

The Right to Their Own Lands. As these once-free peoples are restricted, either to reservations on the poorest land in regions rich in resources or to areas continually shrinking as roads are built and rivers channeled and forests destroyed, they still find it difficult to believe that the white man wants to own the land. It is a conflict that remains alien to native peoples. Video/C 2993

Temples Into Churches. All the native religions in North and South America share a belief in the bond between human beings and nature. Many of the conquerers saw no contradition between enslaving the Indians and bringing their souls into Paradise. This film shows how, though the emblems are Christian, the native people still pray to the old gods. Video/C 2994

Teaching Indians to be White. Schools, where native children find it nearly impossible to balance the white view they are taught with the language and values they learn at home, represent a major problem for native children. Various tribes have responded differently to the challenge of educating their children: the Seminole of Florida resist being integrated, the Miccosukee decided not to fight but to join, and the Cree took back their own schools. Video/C 2995

Rebellion. War against the native inhabitants has been going on uninterrupted since 1492--because one side considers the land sacred and the other wants to own it. This film shows footage of the now extinct Ona of Tierra del Fuego (filmed in 1913) and reviews the events of Wounded Knee, its causes and consequences down to the present day. Video/C 2996

The Indian Experience in the 20th Century. From Mohawks protesting the use of their sacred lands as a golf course to Cree fighting the construction of a hydroelectric dam, Native Americans are fighting back. In Latin America, murder and suppression of Native peoples is the rule, as in Guatemala and Columbia. The bright example is of the Kuna in Panama, who refused to abandon their traditions and after a successful revolt in 1925 have been permitted to live as they choose. Video/C 2997

Provides an in-depth perspective on the movement of outsiders into the Great Plains during the latter half of the 19th century and the subsequent conflicts between these new settlers and the indigenous peoples. Focuses on the Lakota Sioux and their leader Red Cloud as it chronicles America's westward expansion and the subsequent destruction of the Lakota way of life. 1991. 20 min. Video/C 6082

Columbus Didn't Discover Us.

Focuses on concerns of Indians from North, Central, and South America who gathered at the First Continental Conference of Indigenous Peoples held in Ecuador in July, 1990 to discuss the impact that the Columbus legacy has had on the lives of indigenous people. Native people speak about the devastation of their cultures resulting from the "European invasion," contemporary struggles over land and human rights and the importance of reviving spiritual traditions and the need to address the environmental crisis which threatens the survival of the planet. 24 min. Video/C 2514

Columbus on Trial.

A satire on the controversy surrounding Christopher Columbus as to whether he, indeed, did discover America and introduce European civilization and Christianity to the native populations there, or if he (from the Native American point of view) invaded their territories and began the systematic destruction of their cultures that has continued for the following 500 years, set in the context of a trial presided over by a woman judge of Hispano-American descent. A film by Lourdes Portillo. 1992. 18 min. DVD X2695; vhs Video/C 4380

Confronting the Wilderness

(Land of the Eagle; 2). Move North along the eastern seaboard of North America to examine the harsh, rocky land around Hudson Bay and trace the history of French and British entrepreneurs who ventured there to hunt and trap. Trace the settlement of the St. Lawrence River and learn how French fur traders and Ojibway, Algonquin, Huron, Ottawa and other Indians collaborated in a prosperous business partnership until an outbreak of smallpox decimated thousands of Native Americans. 60 min. Video/C 2362

Conquering the Swamps (Land of the Eagle; 3).

Follow the earliest explorations of what constitutes modern day Florida. Learn how Spanish conquistadors seeking gold and slaves and other men hunting herons and alligators eventually led to the destruction of the subtropical wilderness. Discover how native inhabitants of this region, such as Calusa and Tamucua Indians, lived and prospered on the land. See how man's exploitation of Florida, from the expeditions of Hernando de Soto to today's tourist and retirement meccas, have forever altered this fragile environment. 60 min. Video/C 2363

Tour the natural splendors of Alaska, a land settled by indigenous people thousands of years before Russians and Europeans arrived in pursuit of sea otter, walrus and bowhead whales. Explore the worlds of the Inuit and Tlingit tribes that lived with the vast populations of caribou, brown bear, and seals. And understand why Alaska may be the final opportunity to strike a balance between the development of natural resources and the preservation of our natural heritage. 60 min. Video/C 2367

First Frontier.

Discusses the explorations of De Soto, and the early history of the Southeast area, dealing mostly with the treatment of the Indians. 57 min. Video/C 1768

1: The Ancestors: Early Cultures of North America. This opening segment looks at the history of the Wounded Knee Massacre and the creation stories of Indians, moving on to Anasazi Indians with a visit to the 800-room Pueblo Bonito and the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde. An exploration of the Mississippi mound builders at Cahokia, near St. Louis and the pyramids built by the Mayas conclude the program. Video/C 7215

2: Mexico: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs This segment begins with the series of conflicts which solidified the power of the Toltecs for centuries in the Valley of Mexico. By 1300 AD, a conquering nomadic people -- who would become the Aztecs -- arrived in the area. Their majestic city Tenochtitlan became the center of an empire and the objective of Cortez in The Aztec-Spanish War. Video/C 7216

3: Clash of Cultures: The People Who Met Columbus. In this episode Native peoples confront Spanish expeditions in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. On Hispaniola, Indian overtures of friendship run aground as conflict erupts and the names of Guacanagari and Anacaona are emblazoned across a tapestry of tragedy. Inhabitants in Florida and the Mississippi Valley also confront the conquistadors of Hernando De Soto. Tamucua, Coosa and more nations defy a plundering advance that subjects them to two unconquerable weapons: muskets and disease. Video/C 7217

4: Invasion of the Coast: The First English Settlements. This episode opens in the Arctic, where the search for the Northwest Passage direly impacts the Inuit people. At Jamestown, the story of Pocahontas unfolds while at Plymouth Wampanoag Indians introduce Pilgrims to a harvest celebration: Thanksgiving. But harmony ultimately turns to hostility. Enraged by colonial expansion and Puritan intolerance, Massasoit's son leads the bloodiest of all colonial Indian wars in 1675. Video/C 7218

5: Cauldron of War: Iroquois Democracy and the American Revolution. This fifth segment opens with the French and Indian War when many indigenous nations sided with the trade-oriented French and against the land-claiming English. When the defeated French withdrew from the Ohio Valley and left their Indian allies vulnerable, a determined leader came to prominence: Pontiac. A decade after Pontiac's war, the colonies asserted their right to form a democracy in a revolution that ironically, splintered the democratic Iroquois nation. Video/C 7219

6: Removal: War and Exile in the East. Tales of tragedy and heroism unfold in segment six as Shawnee leader Tecumseh challenged the tide of history, sparking a return to traditional ways and seizing upon the War of 1812 as the means to restore Indian sovereignty. In 1830 the Indian Removal Act became law uprooting the Indians from their homes and resulting in the sorrowful Trail of Tears. While many tribes stoically accepted its decree others resisted. Tsali bargained his life for the fate of his Cherokee people -- and for a Smoky Mountains homeland that exists to this day. Video/C 7220

7: Roads Across the Plains: Struggle for the West.Spanish missions established control of the California Coast while from the East came an ever-expanding flow of settlers and prospectors. In between were the Cheyenne, Kiowa, Sioux and other nations. Black Kettle pursued a path of peace while Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and other leaders lead fierce pockets of resistance, and a trecherous massacre at Sand Creek sent repercussions across the plains. Video/C 7221

8: Attack on Culture: "I Will Fight No More Forever". This program examines the legislative attack on native ways, including the disbanding of communal land. Reservations were divided into 160-acre parcels that were offered to individual Indians; the remaining vast expanses sold. In 1889, the Oklahoma Land Rush grabbed up land that decades before was given to the "civilized tribes" as a perpetual home. The last pockets of resistance had been squelched: Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce had been halted in his heroic flight for freedom, while the Apache Geronimo became a prisoner of war. Today, the renewal of native cultures provides a vital reminder of the glory of America's original people and the hardships they endured. Video/C 7222

1492 Revisited.

The 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to the "New World" has prompted renewed debate about Columbus's "discovery" of the "New World." The effect of that event on America's native peoples has been overlooked for the most part. This documentary changes that by offering an "indigenous" perspective through an art exhibition titled "Counter Colon-Ialismo." In this exhibition, several artists portray the fact that there are alternate versions of history and alternate experiences of that history. 1992. 29 min. Video/C MM794

Freedom!

A documentary series chronicling the epic journey of America's commitment to liberty and the idea of freedom. Based on the book series A History of US by Joy Hakim. c2003. 52 min. each installment

Episode 2: Episode 2: After defeating the world's most awesome military power, Americans turn to the task of creating a government that will live up to their high ideals. Concludes with a look at the unknown West through the Lewis and Clark expedition. DVD 2196

Episode 3: America was founded as a free land in which people could live out their own destiny but at what cost to Native Americans? DVD 2196

Episode 8: White settlers and soldiers massacre western Indians, while U.S. immigrants become targets of increasing prejudice. DVD 2196

Geronimo and the Apache Resistance. (American Experience series).

Chiricahua Apaches tell their own story, a different story from the myths we have learned about the Apaches and about Geronimo. Presents the issues of the clash of cultures and the rights to land. Produced and directed by Neil Goodwin. 1994. 58 min. DVD X2995; Video/C 1531

Ghost Dance.

Uses music, paintings, historical photographs, poetry, and views of the landscape to commemorate the centennial of the massacre of Lakota Chief Big Foot and three hundred of his people on December 29, 1890, at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. Most of those killed were followers of the Ghost Dance religion which promised the return of the old way of life. 9 min. Video/C 2647

Witness the struggles of the early English colonists of Roanoke Island, the Chesapeake Bay area, and the Pilgrim settlements of Massachusetts as they fought to establish dominion over the land. Then contrast the European wilderness encounters with the spiritual beliefs of the Cherokee and Powhatan Indians who recognized seasonal rhythms and respected wildlife. 60 min. Video/C 2361

The Great Indian War

Disc 1. Rise and fall of the warrior culture of the Plains & the massacres: The Indians ; The Cavalry -- Disc 2. Battles and warrior chiefs of the northern Plains & southern Plains: The Indian warrior ; Battle for the northern Plains -- Disc 3. The battle for the southern Plains: The southern Plains & the Comanche ; Council house fight & the Texas Rangers ; Chief Buffalo Hump's war ; First battle of Adobe Walls & the Kiowa chiefs ; The Red River War ; The desert southwest ; Cochise & the Apache guerillas ;
From the Spanish conquistadors of the 16th century to the English colonists of the 18th, the settling of America often came at the cost of Native American blood. But the 350-year conflict between European settlers and Indian natives reached its apex with the territorial expansions of the 19th century, when the notion of Manifest Destiny justified a series of battles and massacres that virtually wiped out the indigenous population. This extensive documentary chronicles the Indian Wars of 1540 to 1890 through archival photographs and voiceover narration, covering pivotal battles such as Tippecanoe, Horseshoe Bend, Little Big Horn, and Wounded Knee, as well as the famous men who fought them, including Tecumseh, Crazy Horse, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Wild Bill Hickok, Kit Carson, and George Custer. c2005. 222 min. DVD 6681

A Clash of Cultures: I Will Fight No More Forever: Recounts the displacement of the Navajo Indians by western expansion in the 19th century and their subsequent privation. Part. 2. Relates the Nez Perce Indians' flight from reservation confinement and their battle against the U.S. Army in the Pacific northwest. Video/C 3954

Always the Enemy: The Apaches of the 19th century southwestern United States, led by Cochise, Geronimo, and others, struggle against westward expansion and the U.S. Army to maintain their lands and way of life. Video/C 3955

The only Good Indian is a Dead Indian: Depredation of the buffalo and unjustifiable massacres by U.S. and Mexican military forces drive the peaceful Cheyenne to war with settlers and the U.S. government. Video/C 3955

A Good Day to Die: Westward expansion and gold prospecting forces the Lakota Indians into conflict with the U.S. government, culminating in the battle with General George A. Custer's forces at Little Bighorn. Video/C 3956

Kill the Indian, Save the Man: Lakotas and Cheyennes, confined to inadequate reservations and victimized by the Indian reform movement, turn to spiritualism and ritual; the resulting hysteria among whites fuels tensions that lead to the Wounded Knee massacre. Video/C 3956

Divided We Fall: Examines the effects on the Iroquois Confederacy of the Revolutionary War which ripped apart what was once the most powerful group of native peoples in the Northeast. Video/C 3957

Unconquered: Describes the long term resistance by the Seminole Indians led by Chief Osceola that brought the U.S. military to a standstill and eventually led to an agreement to allow the native peoples to remain in the Everglades. Video/C 3957

The Trail of Tears: Describes how the Cherokees' struggle for sovereignty was thwarted by Andrew Jackson as the Cherokees were evicted from their homes in Georgia and North Carolina and forced to march over the "Trail of Tears" to the land that would become known as Indian Territory. Video/C 3958

As Long as the Grass Shall Grow: Examines the history of the Cherokee and the Five Civilized Tribes and shows how these powerful Indian Nations were forced to accept the breakup of their tribal lands in Indian Territory and explores the great land runs of Oklahoma from a Native American perspective. Video/C 3958

Death Will Come Soon Enough: Examines how a small band of Modoc Indians, led by Captain Jack, held off hundreds of U.S. soldiers in a remote area of northern California. Video/C 3959

The Utes Must Go: Describes the skilled but unsuccessful negotiations of Ute Indian leader, Ouray, as he struggled against the Indian agent Nathan Meeker, to keep his people in the mountains of Colorado. Eventually Ute warriors struck back at Meeker in a move that forced hundreds of Utes onto a reservation in the deserts of Utah. Video/C 3959

Let them Eat Grass: Describes how hunger and frustration led the Dakota Indians on a rampage that left hundreds of settles dead in Minnesota and the subsequent execution of thirty-eight warriors in the Minnesota town of Mankatofor their part in the uprising. Video/C 3960

I Will Fight No More Forever.

Dramatization of the story of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians and his efforts to free his people. 109 min. Video/C 2257

Into the Shining Mountains (Land of the Eagle; 5).

Climb into the stunning high country of the Rocky Mountains to view the great treasures of plants and wildlife and understand how the quest for gold and silver drove the early pioneers to this area. See mountain lions, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats in their native habitats. Understand how the Shoshone, Blackfoot and Utes viewed their sacred lands. And learn how new Americans began to understand the need for conservation and established Yellowstone National Park. 60 min. Video/C 2365

In the White Man's Image

Tells the story of the attempt to assimilate American Indians into white culture by educating them at special schools such as the Carlisle School for Indians. Founded by Richard Henry Pratt, this school and others like it attempted to wipe out all remnants of Indian culture, and, as a result, created a generation of Indians confused about their identities. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television series The American experience in 1991. Written and produced by Christine Lesiak; co-produced by Matthew L. Jones. 58 min. DVD 8664; vhs Video/C 2386

Last Stand at Little Bighorn (American Experience; 506).

Examines the Battle of the Little Bighorn, known as "Custer's Last Stand," from an Indian and white man's perspective. Uses journals, oral accounts, Indian ledger drawings, archival footage, and feature films to present the dual viewpoints of this historic event. 58 min. DVD 2829; also VHS Video/C 2589

Beginning with the first Spanish explorers searching for gold, journey through the harsh terrain of the American Southwest and learn how plants, animals and early pioneers, from priests to miners, adapted to the desert. Understand the relationships that Native American Papago and Pima tribes had with the arid land. And see how irrigation brought water to the region and forever changed its natural history. 60 min. Video/C 2366

My Father Calls Me Son: Racism and Native Americans.

Examination of the history of white oppression of the Native American from slavery to stereotyping for the movies. 29 min. DVD 1328; also VHS Video/C 31

Native Land: Nomads of the Dawn. (Native American Series.)

Examines the history and culture of the Native Americans who discovered and civilized the North and South American continents. Concentrates on the Incas of the South American Andes, covering their achievements, inventions, political struggles, religion and mythology. Incorporates narration, visual imagery and dance with the exotic scenery of Ecuador and Peru to examine history of indigenous peoples and age-old cosmological questions. 58 min. Video/C 5815

Searching for Paradise (Land of the Eagle; 8).

Delve into the history of California and its incredibly rich and diverse ecosystem that is isolated by desert and towering mountains. From its earliest settlers, the Chumash Indians, to the recent mass migration of population to the Pacific Rim of North America, trace the rush to the "Golden State" and learn how the search for solutions to environmental problems in California exemplifies the progress and struggle of today's environmental movement. 60 min. Video/C 2368

The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy

Documents the Cherokees as they lost their land and the difficult conditions they endured on the trail. Describes how thousands of Cherokees died during the Trail of Tears, nearly a quarter of the nation, including most of their children and elders. Contents: Introduction -- Pre-1800's -- Sequoyah/the phoenix -- Cherokee government -- Jackson's policies -- Eve of removal -- Tradgedy [i.e. tragedy] of removal -- Removal camps -- Life on the trail -- Tradgedy [i.e. tragedy] of the trail -- Aftermath. Director, Chip Richie. 2006. 115 min. DVD 6823

The Way West. (The American Experience) A documentary series by Ric Burns. 90 min. each.

Westward, The Course of Empire Takes Its Way. The first episode of the series "The way west." Chronicles the colorful and frantic opening decades of expansion, from the 1840's down through the Civil War. The pioneer movement and then the Gold Rush transformed the destiny of the continent and turned the world of Native Americans upside down. The ever-quickening pace of expansion led to a series of bloody confrontations between Native Americans and whites, culminating in the Minnesota Uprising of 1862, and, two years later, the massacre at Sand Creek. DVD 2580; also VHS Video/C 4477

The Approach of Civilization. Chronicles the four-year period following the Civil War-- an extraordinarily transformative and disruptive era on the Great Plains, marked by two great climaxes: the triumph, in 1868, of Red Cloud and Crazy Horse over the U.S. Army on the Bozeman Trail, and the joining, in 1869, of the two ends of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point in Utah. DVD 2581; also VHS Video/C 4478

The War for the Black Hills. The third episode of the series "The way west." Follows the dramatic sequence of events that led up to the battle of the Little Big Horn in June of 1876. Financial pressures spurred the United States to invade the Lakotas' sacred Black Hills in search of gold. That treaty violation, together with the systematic extermination of the buffalo, sparked outrage among the Lakota and Cheyenne. The stage was set for a cataclysmic showdown between the United States Army and the tribes of the Northern Plains. DVD 2582; also VHS Video/C 4479

Ghost Dance. The fourth and final episode of the series "The way west." Chronicles the oppression of the Native American tribes that occurred in the wake of the Battle of the Little Big Horn; the surrender and last days of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull; the rise of the heartbreaking Ghost Dance religion; and the last terrible massacre at Wounded Knee. DVD 2583; also VHS Video/C 4480

Way West Symposium: Cultures and Conflict.

Features leading scholars on Native American history and the history of the American West discussing the cultural collisions that occurred between American Indians and Euro-American settlers who settled the West during the last half of the 19th century. Videocassette release of the "Way West Cultures and Conflict Symposium" held in Lincoln, Nebraska on May 6, 1995. Previously released as a segment of the WGBH-Boston television documentary series "The American experience".

Part 1, Land. In this first segment of three, the meaning of the land and its resources to American Indians and to the immigrants to the American West are examined. Participants: James Riding In (U. of Arizona, historian), Alvin Josephy (historian), Barbara Booher (U.S. Nat. Park Serv., historian), Robert Utley (historian), Ric Burns (filmaker), Lisa Ades (filmaker). Moderator, David Cournoyer ; narrator, John Gregg. "Conflict Symposium" held in Lincoln, Nebraska on May 6, 1995. Previously released as a segment of the WGBH-Boston television documentary series "The American Experience". 117 min. Video/C 4395

Part 2, Dreams. In this second segment of three, the incompatible visions, competing aspirations and goals that were at the heart of the conflict between Indians and settlers are examined. Participants: Arthur Amiotte (Brandon U., Manitoba), James Riding In (U. of Arizona, historian), Alvin Josephy (historian), Barbara Booher (U.S. Nat. Park Serv., historian), Robert Utley (historian), Ric Burns (filmaker), Lisa Ades (filmaker). 103 min. Video/C 4396

Part 3, Myths. In this final segment of three, the myths wihch shape and are shaped by cultural and historical experiences in the American West are examined. Participants: Ian Frazier (historian), James Riding In (U. of Arizona, historian), Alvin Josephy (historian), Barbara Booher (U.S. Nat. Park Serv., historian), Ric Burns (filmaker), Lisa Ades (filmaker). Moderator, David Cournoyer ; narrator, John Gregg. 86 min. Video/C 4397

Originally broadcast on PBS television in a five-part series beginning April 13, 2009. Special features: "Hill High Low:" a ReelNative Films by Michael David Little; "A freeway Christmas:" a ReelNative Films by Rebecca Nelson; "Untitled:" a ReelNative Films by Courtney Leonard; "Hope for bigger than 16 seconds:" a ReelNative Films by Keely Curliss; PBS preview film, which combines a sneak preview of the documentary films with a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the series; short films: "Apache dance," "Wardrobe & makeup," "Cherokee language" and "Nipmuc language;" Native Now Films: "Language," "Sovereignty" and "Enterprise;" We Shall Remain signature image; Tecumseh's vision: deleted scene; behind-the-scenes footage; episode-by-episode teachers' guide; Library guide.

Disc 1:

After the Mayflower: In 1621, the Wampanoag of New England negotiated a treaty with Pilgrim settlers. A half-century later, as a brutal war flared between the English and a confederation of Indians, this diplomatic gamble seemed to have been a grave miscalculation. After the Mayflower / produced by Sharon Grimberg, Cathleen O'Connell and Mark Zwonitzer ; co-producer and interview producer, Anne Makepeace ; story by Sharon Grimberg and Anne Makepeace ; telescript by Sharon Grimberg and Mark Zwonitzer ; directed by Chris Eyre ; (77 min.). DVD X1693

Disc 2:

Tecumseh's vision: Tells the story of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa, known as the Prophet. In the years following the American Revolution, the Prophet led a spiritual revival movement that drew thousands of followers from tribes across the Midwest. His brother forged a pan-Indian political and military alliance from that movement, coming closer than anyone since to creating an independent Indian state.
Trail of tears: Explores the resolve and resilience of the Cherokee people, who resisted removal from their homelands in the Southwest in every way they knew: assimilating, adopting an European-style government and legal system, accepting Christianity and even taking their case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Tecumseh's vision / written and produced by Ric Burns ; directed by Ric Burns and Chris Eyre ; (86 min.) -- Trail of Tears / produced by Mark Zwonitzer and Rob Rapley ; recreations produced by Jennifer Pearce ; written by Mark Zwonitzer ; directed by Chris Eyre ; (75 min.). 180 min. DVD X1694

Disc 3:

Geronimo: Near the close of the 19th century at the end of the Indian Wars, desperate times catapulted a controversial character to the leadership of an Apache band. To angry whites, Geronimo was an archenemy, the perpetrator of unspeakable savage cruelties. To his supports, he remained the embodiment of proud resistance, leading the last Native American fighting force to surrender to the U.S. government.
Wounded Knee: Tells the gripping story of the 1973 siege of Wounded Knee, examining the broad political and economic foces that led to the emergence of the American Indian Movement. For 71 days activists engaged in a standoff with the U.S. governement, bringing the nation's attention to the desperate conditions on Indian reservations. Even more important, the siege united Native people across tribes, creating a new path into the future. Geronimo / written, produced and directed by Dustinn Craig & Sarah Colt ; (77 min.) -- Wounded Knee / co-produced by Julianna Brannum ; written by Marcia Smith ; produced and directed by Stanley Nelson ; (79 min.). DVD X1695

1: The People.To the original Native American inhabitants, the West has been a land of myth. To the Europeans, such as Cabeza de Vaca and Coronado, the West was a "wilderness" to be conquered. Nearly 100 years before th 180 180 min.180 min. 180 min.180 min.180 min. 180 min.e American Revolution, the Pueblo people of the Southwest rose up against their European masters and drove the Spanish from their lands. Then, with America's purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1804, Lewis and Clark set off to find the fabled Northwest Passage, as a confident young nation prepared for its own epic march across the West. 85 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4519

2: Empire Upon the Trails. In the early 1800's, no one knew who would control the seemingly infinite spaces of the West but hopeful Americans moved onward toward "Manifest Destiny", as they determined to make the West their own. Mountain men, such as Joe Meek, found more adventure than profit as they searched for furs. Missionaries such as Narcissa Whitman traveled West along with others who tried their luck on the Oregon Trail while in Mexican Texas, Sam Houston carved out his own independent republic. 85 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4520

3: The Speck of the Future. A history of the California gold rush which started in 1848, when a sawmill worker named James Marshall reached down into the streambed of the American River in California and discovered gold. Wild mining camps sprung up with each new strike while overnight San Francisco turned into an international city. 85 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4521

4: Death Runs Riot. In the 1850s, as more American pioneers poured west, they brought with them the nation's oldest, most divisive issue--slavery--and the rough frontier would supply the sparks that would ignite the Civil War. Indians would be dragged into "the white man's war," while the besieged Mormons would commit the worst massacre of innocent pioneers in American history and a young writer named Sam Clemens would find adventure in Nevada's silver camps. And as the bitter Civil War drew to a close, celebrated Union heros such as George Armstrong Custer and William Tecumseh Sherman would use the tactics which had defeated the South against the Native Americans of the West. 85 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4522

5: The Grandest Enterprise Under God.After the Civil War Americans embarked on one of the greatest technological achievements of the age-- building the first transcontinental railroad to conquer forbidding mountains, harsh deserts and awesome distances. Railroads soon transformed the West, bringing European farmers, while cowpokes such as Teddy Blue Abbott would ride dusty cattle trails to deliver herds to railheads such as Dodge and Abilene, while buffalo hunters such as Frank Mayer would drive a magnificent animal to near extinction. 85 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4523

6: Fight No More Forever. By the 1870s there were only a few pockets of resistance against the nation's push to conquer the West. On the Great Plains, Sitting Bull followed his mystical visions and urged his Lakota people to fight rather than surrender their sacred Black Hills and traditional way of life. Custer's "Last stand" would also become, in effect, the last stand of the Sioux as a free people. In Utah, the Morman patriarch Brigham Young would be forced to choose between saving his church or sacrificing his spiritual son. Farther west, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce would find himself helping to lead one of the most extraordinary military compaigns in American history. 87 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4524

7: The Greography of Hope. By the 1870s the American conquest of the West was nearly complete. In one decade, with Native Americans effectively confined to reservations, some four-and-a-half million new settlers would arrive to stake their claim to the future. Pap Singleton, an ex-slave from Tennessee, became the era's "Black Moses," leading his people to the free soil of Kansas. A frail New York politician, Teddy Roosevelt, transformed himself into a rugged North Dakota rancher, and eventually, president of the United States. And as Americans tried to "tame" the West, the nation's greatest showman, Buffalo Bill Cody, instead offered adoring crowds his enthusiastic version of a "Wild West"--heroic, glorious, romantic, and most of all, mythic. 87 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4525

8: Ghost Dance By the late 1880s, the Americans were astounded by the changes they had brought to the West. Mining towns such as Butte, Montana were now full-fledged industrial cities. Defeated militarily, Native Americans throughout the region now flocked to the call of a Paiute mystic, who offered the illusionary hope that the lost world of the buffalo could be brought back by a Ghost Dance. But its promises would be trampled in the snow and blood of Wounded Knee. In place of the great Native American cultures which once dominated the Plains was a new culture, epitomized by the Oklahoma Land Rush, in which 100,000 eager settlers lined up for a mad dash to stake out a farm and a future.60 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4526

9: One Sky Above Us. As the 20th century neared, Americans celebrated with the World Columbian Exposition, where they were told that the frontier had closed, but in the real West, for every frontier story that ended, another one began. Some Native Americans waged a struggle to hold onto their traditions in the midst of rapid, overwhelming change, while others chose to learn the white man's ways, hoping to help their families and their tribe. In California, the emerging metropolis of Los Angeles waged yet another battle to control the arid region's most precious commodity--water. Much had changed in the West, but it continued to be what it had always been--a landscape of the imagination, the reservoir of our shared hopes and dreams, a place of both conflict and infinite possibility, and an enduring symbol of something unquestionably American. 65 min. DVD X1627; vhs Video/C 4527

In a widely covered 1990 protest against a proposal to develop Mohawk claimed land in Quebec into a golf course, the Mohawk of Kanesatake blockaded a rarely used dirt road to protect their land. The confrontation escalated and in the ensuing gun battle, a policeman was killed. This documentary captures in detail the struggles of the Mohawk people against the federal and provincial governments, the Canadian army, and the stone throwing rioters that the Surete du Quebec were unable to control. 1992. 105 min. Video/C 8143

Alcatraz Is Not an Island

This program tells the story of the American Indian occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay which began in 1969 and lasted 19 months. The documentary interweaves archival footage and contemporary commentary to examine how this historic event altered American government Indian policy and programs, and how it forever changed the way Native Americans viewed themselves, their culture and their sovereign rights. c2002. 58 min. DVD X66 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 9394

Coverage of a 30th anniversary celebration of the occupation of Alcatraz Island by American Indian political activists, with commentary by participants who took part in the occupation in 1969 and current American Indian activists. Held on Alcatraz Island, California on October 23, 1999. 153 min. Video/C 6743

"Two feisty Western Shoshone sisters put up a heroic fight for their land rights - and their human rights. Carrie and Mary Dann endure terrifying roundups by armed federal marshals in which thousands of their horses and cattle are confiscated, for the crime of grazing them on the open range outside their private ranch - even though that range is part of 60 million acres recognized as Western Shoshone land by the U.S. After the government sued them for trespassing, their dispute went to the Supreme Court, and eventually the United Nations. Why has the U.S. spent millions persecuting and prosecuting two elderly women grazing a few hundred horses and cows in a desolate desert? The Dann sisters say the real reason is the resources hidden beneath this seemingly barren land, their Mother Earth: it is the second largest gold producing area in the world.
This eloquent testament to the courage of the Dann sisters is an important document for those who want to understand the ongoing resistance of Native peoples to U.S. colonialism in Indian country." [Eric Cheyfitz, Director of the American Indian Program, Cornell University]. Directed by George Gage and Beth Gage. 32 min. DVD X2895; also included on DVD 9470

Features interviews with American Indians regarding their experiences at boarding schools. Examines federal policies toward American Indian education, the history of American Indian boarding schools, their impact on Indian peoples and cultures, and their role in Indian education past and present. 1985. 58 min. DVD 7100 [preservation copy]; Video/C MM723

As Long as the Rivers Run

Traces the struggle of the American Indians of the Northwest to maintain their fishing rights and way of life, with particular reference to the Nisqually Indians of Frank's Landing in Washington. Points out that this struggle is part of a larger movement for Indian self-determination in California and the Northwest, including the formation of fishing cooperatives to gain economic independence. Also includes footage of the takeover of Alcatraz.
Originally released as 16mm. motion picture by American Documentary Films in 1971. Filmed between autumn 1968 and winter 1970. 62 min. Video/C 8832

Broken Rainbow.

A documentary about the relocation of ten thousand Navaho Indians from their hogans in northern Arizona to tract homes in towns some distance away because the land allegedly belongs to the Hopi. Looks at efforts to mediate the land dispute. Directors, Victoria Mudd, Thom Tyson. Dist.: Direct Cinema. 1987. 70 min. DVD 6004; vhs Video/C 2152

The moving story of the Native Americans, ranchers, government officials, and environmental activists currently battling over the yearly slaughter of America's last wild bison. This film explores the controversial killing by joining a 500-mile spiritual march across Montana by Lakota Sioux Indians who object to the slaughter. Woven into the film are the civil disobedience and video activism of an environmental group trying to save the buffalo, as well as the concerns of a ranching family caught in the crossfire. Directed by Matthew Testa. c2001. 57 min. Video/C 9435

California Since the Sixties: Revolutions and Counterrevolutions: After Alcatraz: American Indian Uprisings, 2/4/99. (11th California Studies Conference, University of California, Berkeley)

A panel of American Indians comments on their personal experiences in the occupation of Alcatraz Island, the "relocation program" and urban Indians, the preservation of American Indian history through film and other means and the current situation of American Indians in California. Contents: American Indian population in the Bay Area, Susan Lobo (11 min.); Participation in the "outcast" of Alcatraz, Millie Ketchano, Edward Castillo (30 min.); The occupation of Alcatraz Island, Troy Johnson (24 min.); The filming of the documentary: The Indian occupation of Alcatraz, John Plutte (26 min.); Closing commentary by panel (8 min.); Reception honoring Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, at the Bancroft Library (9 min.) 107 min. Video/C 5974

California's Lost Tribes.

Explores the conflicts over Indian gaming and places them in the context of both California and Native American history. Examining the historical underpinnings of tribal sovereignty and the evolution of tribal gaming rights over the last 30 years, the film investigates the impact of gaming on Indian self-determination, and the challenges that Native people face in defining the identity of their people for the future. Produced by Jack Kohler and Jed Riffe. c2005. 1978. 56 min. DVD 4781

Traces the history of and current struggle over land titles for the White Earth (Chippewa) Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota. 58 min. Video/C 1483

Common Enemies

This documentary tells the story of a group of Black muslims, American Indians and Chicano radicals who, in the mid-1980's, met eachother in Muammar Qaddafi's Libya. There they attended a series of his meetings intending to meet a revolutionary and to find a common cause. What ensued at the meetings and resulting consequences landed some of the participants in prison and increased political tensions between the U.S. and Libya. Directed and edited by Tonantzin De Aztlan and Nick Guroff. Produced and funded in part by the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley. 2007. 25 min. DVD X4769

Concerns of American Indian Women.

Dr. Connie Redbird Uri, of the Choctaw Cherokee Tribe, and Marie Sanchez, Chief Judge of the Northern Cheyenne, discuss problems of American Indian women such as poor health care, forced sterilization and lack of control over their own affairs. They also talk about the proposed installation of more coal gasification plants near Indian reservations. 29 min. DVD X78 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 36

Crow Dog

The story of Leonard Crow Dog, who was brought up to preserve the ways of a Sioux medicine man. Deals with the beginnings of the American Indian Movement and the siege at Wounded Knee. 57 min. Video/C 5819

The Exiles

"Selected for the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, The Exiles (1961) is an incredible feature film by Kent MacKenzie chronicling a day in the life of a group of twenty-something Native Americans who left reservation life in the 1950s to live in the district of Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, California. Bunker Hill was then a blighted residential locality of decayed Victorian mansions, sometimes featured in the writings of Raymond Chandler, John Fante and Charles Bukowski. The structure of the film is that of a narrative feature, the script pieced together from interviews with the documentary subjects." [Milestone catalog] Written, produced and directed by Kent Mackenzie. Special features on DVD X2383: Four short films directed by Kent Mackenzie including "Bunker Hill 1956" ; "Los Angeles Plays Itself": clips from Thom Andersen's masterpiece ; Commentary track: Watching The Exiles with Sherman Alexie and Sean Axmaker ; Audio: Cast and Crew at The Exiles' Opening Night at UCLA, 2008 ; "Last Day of Angels Flight": short film by Robert Kirste ; "Bunker Hill: A Tale of Urban Renewal": short film by Greg Kimble ; "White Fawn's Devotion": the first film directed by a Native American (1910) ; Sherman Alexie and Sean Axmaker, a second Interview ; WNYC Leonard Lopate Show with Sherman Alexie and Charles Burnett.Dist. Milestone Film & Video. 1961. 72 min. DVD X2383 (2-disc version); DVD 9949

Forty-Seven Cents.

Documents how officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Claims Commission, and a lawyer representing the Pit River Indian Nation of northern California obtained from the tribe a land settlement that most of its members did not want. 25 min. Video/C 58

Full Circle: Indians in Washington State

Looks at the cultural contributions of the Native Americans in Washington and the rebirth of their culture. Sparked by legal victories and fueled by a new economic and political power, they are discovering ways to retain their Indian identity while living in contemporary America. Produced, written and edited by John de Graaf and Maria Gargiulo. c1989. 52 min. Video/C MM651

Good as Gold (Water Wars;1).

Focuses on the dispute over water rights between the city of Los Angeles and Arizona Indians. Water rights is one of the most powerful resources in the West. 49 min. Video/C 2933

A Good Day to Die

Chronicles the life story of Dennis Banks, the Native American who co-founded the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1968 to advocate and protect the rights of American Indians, providing an in-depth look at the history and issues surrounding AIM's formation. From the forced assimilation of Native Americans within boarding schools, to discrimination by law enforcement authorities, to neglect by government officials responsible for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, AIM sought redress for the many grievances that its people harbored. Banks' personal struggle culminated in major armed confrontations at Custer, South Dakota and Wounded Knee -- climactic flash points which saw him standing steadfast as a leader for his cause. Directed by David Mueller and Lynn Salt. 2010. 90 min. DVD X6017

Home of the Brave.

Shows how after fifty years of oppression and suffering, the Indians of North and South America find themselves still locked in a struggle for ethnic and racial survival. Focuses on the unique cultures of the American Indians, rich in music and mystery, and tells how these people are at odds with the commercial world that surrounds them. 53 min. Video/C 1234

Big Mountain in Arizona, sacred to the Navajo, is at the heart of the controversial Congressional legislation, the 1988 Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Amendments. This film which emphasizes the human struggle over the economic and political impact of the Amendments, presents through the eyes of Navajo matriarch Katherine Smith, an intimate portrait of the traumatic consequences of the relocation on one Navajo family. 1988. 28 min. Video/C 7651

In the Light of Reverence

Across the United States, Native Americans are struggling to protect their sacred places. Religious freedom, so valued in America, is not guaranteed to those who practice land-based religions. This film presents three indigenous communities in their struggles to protect their sacred sites from rock climbers, tourists, stripmining and development and New Age religious practitioners. 2001. 73 min. Video/C 7963

Tells the story of the attempt to assimilate American Indians into white culture by educating them at special schools such as the Carlisle School for Indians. Founded by Richard Henry Pratt, this school and others like it attempted to wipe out all remnants of Indian culture, and, as a result, created a generation of Indians confused about their identities. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television series The American experience in 1991. Written and produced by Christine Lesiak; co-produced by Matthew L. Jones. 58 min. DVD 8664; vhs Video/C 2386

Incident at Oglala.

Examines the 1975 incident where armed FBI agents illegally entered the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, resulting in the deaths of a Native American and two FBI agents. Explores the controversy and potential abuse of justice surrounding the case of Leonard Peltier, who was the sole person in the incident convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. A film by Michael Apted. 1988. 90 min. DVD 9065; Video/C 3331

Indian Country? (Native American Series)

Indian journalist Richard La Course discusses the revolution of attitudes among younger American Indians, creating a new mood of militancy. American Indian Movement leader Madonna Gilbert and Senator James Abourezk review current government policy regarding Indians. Reservation and non-reservation life is explored, including the social, religious, and political aspects. 1972. 26 min. Video/C 5818

Indians, Outlaws, and Angie Debo

A biographical sketch of Angie Debo, historian, focusing on her research in the 1930's uncovering a state-wide conspiracy that had deprived the Oklahoma Indians of their oil rich land. Directed by Martha Sandlin. Originally broadcast in 1988 as a segment from the PBS television program: The American experience. 58 min. DVD X5972; Video/C 1528

Leonard Peltier

The second segment examines advocacy for the release of the native American activist and prisoner, Leonard Peltier. Segment from the television program Rights & wrongs broadcast May 12, 1993. 27 min. Video/C 6691

Lighting the 7th Fire

This film examines how the Chippewa Indians of Northern Wisconsin have struggled to restore the tradition of spear fishing and the opposition they have encountered, vividly documenting contemporary racism towards Native Americans. Presents treaty rights issues and the re-emergence of traditional fishing rights linked to the Chippewa prophecy that speaks of seven fires representing seven periods of time, the seventh being a time when lost traditions would be renewed. Nationally broadcast on PBS Stations as a part of the Point of View series (P.O.V.) 1999. 47 min Video/C 7653

A Matter of Promises.

Separate segments on the Onondaga of New York State, the Navajo of Arizona and adjacent states, and the Lummi of Washington State focus on sovereignty, internal politics, administration of justice, and relations with the U.S. Government. 58 min. Video/C 1938

My Father Calls Me Son: Racism and Native Americans.

Examination of the history of white oppression of the Native American from slavery to stereotyping for the movies. 29 min. DVD 1328; also VHS Video/C 31

Not in Our Town

Documentary about the people of Billings, Montana who joined together to stand up for Native American, Afro-American and Jewish neighbors who were under attack by white supremacists. In response to a series of hate crimes, the community moved into action. 30 min. Video/C 4362

Our Spirits Don't Speak English: Indian Boarding School

Uncovers the dark history of U.S. Government policy which took Indian children from their homes, forced them into boarding schools and enacted a policy of educating them in the ways of Western Society. This film gives a voice to the countless Indian children forced through a system designed to strip them of their Native American culture, heritage and traditions. Direction, Chip Richie. 2008. 80 min. DVD X249

Red Power: Thirty Years of American Indian Activism in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The resurfacing of a decades old film reunites a man and his family and explores radioactivity problems on the Navajo reservation. The original film, Navajo Boy, produced by Robert J. Kennedy, chronicles the Cly and Begay families. The new film, Return of Navajo Boy, juxtaposes the families' lives now and then. The current film also explores the effects of uranium exposure from the mines on the Navajo Nation on the health of the Navajo people. It documents the return/reunion of John Wayne Cly, a Navaho boy, taken as a child by missionaries around 40 years ago from his Navajo family. 2000. 52 min. Video/C 8913

A Seat At the Table: Struggling for American Indian Religious Freedom.

Professor Huston Smith, in dialogue with eight American Indian leaders, explores the problems faced by Native Americans in practicing their religious ceremonies and beliefs. Each of the film's eight segments deals with an important obstacle to American Indian's religious freedom. Taken as a whole, the film provides an outstanding overview of the spiritual ways of today's Native Americans. 2004. 91 min. DVD 4866

This documentary probes the history of Canadian government legislation affecting Indian women and their traditional role in Indian society. The controversy surrounding these discriminatory laws unfolds against the background of the personal experiences of five women who were forced to live apart from their communities due to change in their legal status as Indians. 49 min. Video/C 1919

A Tattoo on My Heart: The Warriors of Wounded Knee 1973.

The siege of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1973 forever changed the lives of the Indians who took part and captured the imagination of the nation. This documentary tells the story of the 71-day occupation as told from the warriors' point of view through actual film footage from the occupation and contemporary interviews. Directed by Charles Abourezk and Brett Lawlor. c2004. 59 min. DVD 3910

Usual & Accustomed Places

Examines Native treaty rights which granted natives the ability to fish in their "usual and accustomed places" which have been broken repeatedly throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Presents each of the six treaties in Washington State and the consequences for the Natives who resisted the loss of their treaty protected fishing places during the past 100 years. 1998. 48 min. Video/C 7652

Waves of Change.(Way We Live: Introduction to Sociology; 22)

What is social change and what are its causes?" This final lesson of the series provides a deeper understanding of both the concepts and the consequences at the heart of social change. As a case study this segment documents how the Winnemen Wintu, a Native American tribe in the Shasta-Trinity Area of Northern California, have been negatively impacted by U.S. Government water and land policies. 2005. 27 min. DVD 4817

Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations.

In December 1990, 300 Lakota Sioux horseback riders rode 250 miles to commemorate the lives lost at the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890. Tells the story of the massacre from the Lakota perspective. 57 min. Video/C 2838

Documents the demonstration of Mohawk Indians, living on the St. Regis reserve in Cornwall, Ont., as they protest payment of import duties on personal purchases made in the U.S., claiming exemption under the provisions of the Jay treaty of 1794. Made in collaboration with Noel Starblanket and Mike Mitchell of the Indian Film Crew, and people of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. 1969. 37 min. Video/C MM389

The Great Movie Massacre. Explores the beginning of the "savage Indian" myth in popular American literature which was perpetuated in the Wild West shows such as Buffalo Bill's, and on into the scripts written for the early motion pictures. The myth was used to advance the drama of the story without regard to historical fact in many cases. 28 min. DVD 9057; vhs Video/C 1840

How Hollywood Wins the West. Explores the concept of "manifest destiny" or the taking of Indian lands which "nobody owned" by the white man in the early nineteenth century. The film clips used point out the lack of historical facts found in Hollywood films concerning this era have helped perpetuate the concept through generations of viewers. 29 min. DVD 9057; vhs Video/C 1841

Warpaint and Wigs. Shows the sharp contrast between contemporary Native American actors and the policies of Hollywood. Emphasizes the treatment of American Indians in light of the stereotype perpetuated in the media. 29 min. DVD 9057; vhs Video/C 1842

Heathen Injuns and the Hollywood Gospel. Emphasizes the beliefs and culture of American Indians are seldom portrayed accurately in the Hollywood motion picture. 28 min. DVD 9057; vhs Video/C 1843

The Movie Reel Indians. Emphasizes the effect of the movies' image of the American Indian on Indians themselves and American society. 28 min. DVD 9057; vhs Video/C 1844

Imagining Indians.

Using an eclectic mix of interviews, staged scenes and graphic imagery, this film represents a Native American's view of the disparity between self-perception and the white culture's principally Hollywood-inspired interpretations of American Indians. Includes an eye-opening Native American perspective on recent popular films by Kevin Costner and Robert Redford. 57 min. Video/C 3973

The Atlanta Braves. Kansas City Chiefs. Washington Redskins. Cleveland Indians. This film takes a critical look at the long-running practice of using Native American Indian nicknames as mascots in sports. It centers around a discussion of Chief Illiniwek as the University of Illinois mascot, and the effect the mascot has on Native American peoples. Graduate student Charlene Teters shares the impact of the Chief on her family. Interviewees include members of the Board of Regents, students, alumni, current and former "Chiefs" and members of the community. Written and produced by Jay Rosenstein. c1997. 47 min. DVD X5050; Video/C 5891

Examination of the history of white oppression of the Native American from slavery to stereotyping for the movies. 29 min. DVD 1328; also VHS Video/C 31

Plastic Warriors.

Examines Native American stereotypes in the mass media and their harmful effects. Features interviews with Native Americans who discuss the misrepresentation of their culture by these images, and the need for increased awareness and sensitivity. Produced & directed by Amy Tall Chief. 2004. 26 min. Video/C MM456

Reel Injuns

Travelling through the heartland of America, Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond examines how the myth of the movie "Injun" has influenced the world's understanding - and misunderstanding - of Natives. With clips from hundreds of classic and recent films, and candid interviews with celebrated Native and non-Native directors, writers, actors and activists, including Clint Eastwood, Robbie Robertson, Sacheen Littlefeather, John Trudell, Charlie Hill and Russell Means, Reel Injun traces the evolution of cinema's depiction of Native people from the silent film era to the present day. Directed by Neil Diamond. 2009. 88 min. DVD X2974

Return of the Country.

Native American and White relationships examined through a series of stereotypical role-playing. 15 min. Video/C 2007

A film by Les Blank. Part 1 captures the music, food, and street celebrations that typify New Orleans. Part 2 focuses on the annual revival of Black Indian social and cultural traditions, featuring Wild Tchoupitoulas and other Black Indian tribes as they prepare for and celebrate Mardi Gras. 58 min. Video/C 1830

Scenes from everyday life show the interdependence of the Navajo people and their flocks. Shows entire families caring for the herds and includes glimpses of wool carding, spinning, dying, and weaving intercut with views of the rugged southwestern landscape. 15 min. Video/C 1863

The Art of Being Indian: Filmed Aspects of the Culture of the Sioux.

Gives a brief view of the cultural heritage of the Sioux Indians from the time that they lived in the Eastern United States through their migrations to the Great Lakes, Minnesota, and finally to the Dakotas. The film also considers the present status of the Sioux and their hopes for the future. 1991? 29 min. Video/C 5307

As Long as the Rivers Run

Traces the struggle of the American Indians of the Northwest to maintain their fishing rights and way of life, with particular reference to the Nisqually Indians of Frank's Landing in Washington. Points out that this struggle is part of a larger movement for Indian self-determination in California and the Northwest, including the formation of fishing cooperatives to gain economic independence. Also includes footage of the takeover of Alcatraz.
Originally released as 16mm. motion picture by American Documentary Films in 1971. Filmed between autumn 1968 and winter 1970. 62 min. Video/C 8832

Bear's Hiding Place: Ishi's Last Refuge

Documents the search for the camp of Ishi, one of the last surviving members of the Yana tribe who was first written about in 1908 by anthropologist Thomas Waterman. An archaeological expedition to the remote sunken gardens of Deer Creek Canyon near Mount Lassen, in northern California is the second attempt by the team to find and confirm the location of Wowunupo'mu Tetna, or Bear's Hiding Place, the last refuge of the Yahi and of Ishi before his dramatic appearance in 1911. Produced and directed by Jed Riffe. 1997. 18 min. DVD X3255

This presentation brings to light a forgotten part of America's past -- the cultural and racial fusion of Native and African Americans. The film explores what brought Native Americans and African Americans together, what drove them apart, and the challenges they face today. From the Atlantic Seaboard to the Western Plains, family memories and historical highlights reveal the indelible mark of this unique ancestry and its continuing influence. Narrator, James Earl Jones. Directed by Chip Richie. c2000. 60 min. DVD X2680; vhs Video/C 7680

Black Warriors of the Seminole

The untold story of an unusual and lasting alliance between Seminole Indians and Southern Blacks. Traces the special bond of mutual dependence that survived slavery, war and discrimination as it follows the escape of Black slaves from Georgia and South Carolina plantations to Florida where they integrated into the Seminole Indian tribes. The Seminoles and Blacks fought side by side against enraged slave owners and the U.S. Government. 1990. 30 min. Video/C 5487

Box of Treasures

Many years ago, the Canadian government "confiscated" numerous ritual possessions belonging to the Kwakiutl Indians and forbade them to hold illegal pot latch ceremonies. In 1980, after years of struggle and negotiations, these sacred objects were returned to the tribe. This program looks at the resulting celebration and the present-day efforts of the Kwakiutl to keep their culture and heritage alive. A film by Chuck Olin. 1980. 28 min. Video/C 8952

Broken Rainbow.

A documentary about the relocation of ten thousand Navaho Indians from their hogans in northern Arizona to tract homes in towns some distance away because the land allegedly belongs to the Hopi. Looks at efforts to mediate the land dispute. Directors, Victoria Mudd, Thom Tyson. Dist.: Direct Cinema. 1987. 70 min. DVD 6004; vhs Video/C 2152

Portrays Pacific Northwest Indian life as seen in one group of Kwakiutl Indians living in Blunden Harbour and sustaining themselves by the sea. The narration recounts their legends and depicts their present workday life. Written and directed by Robert G. Gardner. Originally filmed in 1951. DVD 5502

Explores the conflicts over Indian gaming and places them in the context of both California and Native American history. Examining the historical underpinnings of tribal sovereignty and the evolution of tribal gaming rights over the last 30 years, the film investigates the impact of gaming on Indian self-determination, and the challenges that Native people face in defining the identity of their people for the future. Produced by Jack Kohler and Jed Riffe. c2005. 1978. 56 min. DVD 4781

Cherokee indians discuss the tribe and the dilemma of preserving traditional crafts. Includes scenes from "Unto these hills" drama. Most of the filming was done at Tsa-La-Gi village, where efforts have been made to reconstruct Cherokee life as it was. Originally released as a motion picture by BBC in 1976. 26 min. Video/C 5816

The Chumash.

A survey through interviews and archival footage of the history and mythology of the Chumash tribe of Southern California up to the present day, including current efforts to preserve Chumash ways and culture. 1991. 29 min. Video/C 5310

Clouded Land.

Traces the history of and current struggle over land titles for the White Earth (Chippewa) Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota. 58 min. Video/C 1483

Contrary Warriors: A Film of the Crow Tribe.

Describes the Crow Indians' century-long battle to preserve their language, family and culture. Focuses on the life of Robert Yellowtail, a 97-year old tribal leader who successfully fought in the U.S. Senate to save Crow lands and then went on to spend 60 years shaping the course of the Crow Tribe. 60 min. Video/C 2151

Cree Hunters of Mistassini.

Shows the conflict produced by the James Bay development scheme between a hunting culture of Cree Indians and the dominant white culture that has come to rely heavily on large-scale technology. This is a glimpse of an adaptation by the indians that continues to change and an up-close look at the Cree culture as a film crew joins three families as they build a lodge, hunt, trap, prepare food and skins and live together in the bush. Produced for the program Challenge for Change (Societe Nouvelle) and the Dept. of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. 1974. 59 min. Video/C 6522

Dineh Nation: The Navajo Story.

Photographed in the Sovereign Dineh Indian Reservation . Here the Navajo people have lived on vast deposits of oil, coal and uranium. But outside forces are at work, strip mining the coal and polluting the water. This film emphasizes the spiritual essence of the Dineh, with their unique art forms and original lifestyle. 26 min. Video/C 2738

Esther Shea: The Bear Stands Up

A portrait of Tlingit elder Esther Shea of the Tongass Bear Clan who has dedicated her life to teaching the language, songs, and values of Tlingit traditional life in Southeast Alaska. c1998. 29 min. Video/C MM903

The First and Last Frontier (Land of the Eagle; 7).

Tour the natural splendors of Alaska, a land settled by indigenous people thousands of years before Russians and Europeans arrived in pursuit of sea otter, walrus and bowhead whales. Explore the worlds of the Inuit and Tlingit tribes that lived with the vast populations of caribou, brown bear, and seals. And understand why Alaska may be the final opportunity to strike a balance between the development of natural resources and the preservation of our natural heritage. 60 min. Video/C 2367

Forty-Seven Cents.

Documents how officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Claims Commission, and a lawyer representing the Pit River Indian Nation of northern California obtained from the tribe a land settlement that most of its members did not want. 25 min. Video/C 58

From Florida to Coahuila: The History of the Black Seminoles. (De Florida a Coahuila: la Historia de los Mascogos)

Tells the story of the Mascogos, known in the United States as the Black Seminoles, descendants of runaway slaves who made common cause with Seminole Indians. After a long migration they came to the northern state of Coahuila, Mexico in 1850 escaping from the harsh living conditions of the North. Here they negotiated with the government to defend the border in exchange for tracts of land and citizenship. 2002. 50 min. Video/C MM397

Full Circle: Indians in Washington State

Looks at the cultural contributions of the Native Americans in Washington and the rebirth of their culture. Sparked by legal victories and fueled by a new economic and political power, they are discovering ways to retain their Indian identity while living in contemporary America. Produced, written and edited by John de Graaf and Maria Gargiulo. c1989. 52 min. Video/C MM651

Gabrielino/Tongva Culture

A survey of the history, culture and present status of the Gabrielino or Tongva tribe of Southern California, and the current efforts being made to revive the original Gabrielino or Tongva culture. 1991. 29 min. Video/C 5309

Geronimo and the Apache Resistance. (American Experience series).

Chiricahua Apaches tell their own story, a different story from the myths we have learned about the Apaches and about Geronimo. Presents the issues of the clash of cultures and the rights to land. 58 min. Video/C 1531

Haa Shagoon.

Documents Tlingit Indian ceremonies in Haines, Alaska along the Chilkoot River, ancestral home of the Chilkoot Tlingit. The ceremony, which is being held for the first time in decades, consists of prayers, songs and dances. 199? 29 min. Video/C MM706

The History of the Luiseno People: La Jolla Reservation, Christmas 1990.

A Native American man makes Christmas phone calls to family members that he will not be with for the holiday, revealing his loneliness and alienation. 29 min. Video/C 5149

Homeland: One Reservation, Four Families, Three Years

Four Lakota families living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, open their hearts and homes to present a portrait of reservation life. The film focuses on their attempts to secure decent housing on the reservation with the assistance of Walking Shield, a non-profit agency that works to provide housing for indigenous Americans. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Extension Center for Media and Independent Learning, 1998. 57 min. Video/C 7538

The Honour of All.

A dramatization of the modern day problems of the Shuswap Indians of British Columbia. The focus is on the break up of their culture and their subsequent dependence on alcohol.--Pt.2. Personal interviews with former alcoholics and addicts, shows how the community's effort to recover from widespread alcoholism and drug abuse has paid off. 101 min. Video/C 2383

Honorable Nations.

For 99 years, the residents of Salamanca, N.Y. have rented the land under their homes for an average of $1.00 a year from the Seneca Indians, under the terms of a lease imposed by Congress. Now the lease is about to expire. This film is about the conflict of the survival of the town and justice for the Senecas. Originally broadcast on the television series: Point of View. 1993. 54 min. Video/C 5343

The Hopi [Corn is Life].

Depicts and explains the traditional activities associated with corn that are an important part of Hopi family and community life. 18 min. DVD X69 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 1864

Hopi: Songs of the Fourth World.

An in-depth look at the meaning of the Hopi way, a philosophy of living in balance with nature. Describes the Hopi philosophy of life, death, and renewal as revealed in the interweaving life cycles of humans and corn plants. A film by Pat Ferrero. 1989. 58 min. DVD 8694; vhs Video/C 1645

Navajo medicineman, Johnson Dennison, Navajo philosopher, Harry Walters and American anthropologist, Peter Gold come together amid the stunning environs of Arizona's sacred Canyon de Chelly, for an intelligent, lively and warmhearted exploration of Navajo ways of spiritual balance and harmony in daily living. Their words of wisdom are mirrored in Navajo art and in the stunning landscape of the Colorado Plateau: homeland of the Navajo people. c2001. 28 min. Video/C 8382

In the Heart of Big Mountain

Big Mountain in Arizona, sacred to the Navajo, is at the heart of the controversial Congressional legislation, the 1988 Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Amendments. This film which emphasizes the human struggle over the economic and political impact of the Amendments, presents through the eyes of Navajo matriarch Katherine Smith, an intimate portrait of the traumatic consequences of the relocation on one Navajo family. 1988. 28 min. Video/C 7651

In the Reign of Twilight.

An investigation of the Inuit of Northern Canada and the impact of Canadian and American military installations upon their culture. Together the two countries created a high-tech outpost where the Inuit are trapped between the ancient and the post-modern. With their old economy destroyed, the Inuit turned to the creation and exporting of traditional sculpture. Includes interviews with Inuit natives, Canadian government officials and newsreel footage to highlight the social impact of military intrusion into arctic. 88 min. Video/C 4745

Indians, Outlaws, and Angie Debo

(American Experience series). A biographical sketch of Angie Debo, historian, focusing on her research in the 1930's uncovering a state-wide conspiracy that had deprived the Oklahoma Indians of their oil rich land. 58 min. Video/C 1528

Into the Circle.

An Introduction to Oklahoma powwows and celebrations. Oklahoma, the original Indian Territory, is still home to more Native Americans and more tribes than any other state. It's an ideal location to see the widest array of dancers, singers and regalia. Slow motion sequences of national champions show the grace, power and intricate steps of dance styles. 1992. 58 min. DVD 6158; vhs Video/C 3059

When Ishi suddenly appeared in rural Northern California in 1911, the country was stunned. His tribe as considered extinct; Ishi had lived in hiding for forty years . As the sole survivor, he had refused to surrender. His story embodies the strength and resilience of California's indigenous people. 57 min. DVD X3311; vhs Video/C 2861

A new edition of the film Ishi in two worlds by Richard C. Tomkins. Based upon the book Ishi in two worlds by Theodora Kroeber. Documentary of the life of Ishi, the sole survivor of a small band of Yahi Indians, who was found in 1911 in Oroville, California. Dramatizes the enormous contrast between his former primitive existence and his life in early twentieth-century San Francisco. 19 min. c1999. DVD 7930 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C MM663

Itam Hakim, Hopiit: In Recognition of the Hopi Tricentennial, 1680-1980.

In Hopi with English narration, voice-over translations, and titles. Storyteller Ross Macaya tells stories from the myths and history of the Hopi people. A film by Victor Masayesva. 58 min. Video/C 1861

Romero, Channette. "The Politics of the Camera: Visual Storytelling and Sovereignty in Victor Masayesva's Itam Hakim, Hopiit."
Studies in American Indian Literatures: The Journal of the Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 49-75, 2010 Spring
UC users only

I'tusto: To Rise Again

On August 29, 1997, the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation was rocked to the core as their ceremonial Bighouse became engulfed in an arsonist's fire. The Bighouse stands at the centre of their history, where traditional ceremonies make them a distinctive people. This film tells the powerful story of the Kwakiutl Indian Nation as they came together to re-build the Bighouse, concluding with the ceremonial dedication of the new building. c2000. 54 min. Video/C 7555

The Keetoowahs Come Home

The political and tribal history of the Keetoowahs has its roots in what became known as the "Trail of Tears". In 1828 the Keetoowahs were told they must move to Indian Territory in what is now the state of Oklahoma. In 1994 Chief John Ross and the council of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians became the first American Indian tribe to relocate to their original home in Arkansas. 1997. 30 min. Video/C MM752

The Kiliwa: Hunters and Gatherers of Baja California.

Documents aspects of hunting and gathering, food preparation, and shelter construction by a group of Baja California Indians. Illustrates their cultural and ecological adaptation to the high desert country and the impingement of modern technology on traditional modes of subsistence. 14 min. DVD X2353 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 59

Lighting the 7th Fire

This film examines how the Chippewa Indians of Northern Wisconsin have struggled to restore the tradition of spear fishing and the opposition they have encountered, vividly documenting contemporary racism towards Native Americans. Presents treaty rights issues and the re-emergence of traditional fishing rights linked to the Chippewa prophecy that speaks of seven fires representing seven periods of time, the seventh being a time when lost traditions would be renewed. Nationally broadcast on PBS Stations as a part of the Point of View series (P.O.V.) 1999. 47 min. Video/C 7653

A Matter of Choice.

The first half discusses the threats to the future of the Hopi Nation (Arizona) from youth leaving the reservation, from intermarriage, and from outside influences. Members of the Nation show the importance of religious ceremonies in keeping the culture intact. The second half shows the mixture of tribal groups in Milwaukee, how they cooperate and sometimes intermarry, and the differences between Indian heritage and the urban and suburban culture of Wisconsin. 58 min. Video/C 1937

A Matter of Promises.

Separate segments on the Onondaga of New York State, the Navajo of Arizona and adjacent states, and the Lummi of Washington State focus on sovereignty, internal politics, administration of justice, and relations with the U.S. Government. 58 min. Video/C 1938

Miss Navajo

Reveals the inner beauty of the young women who compete in the Miss Navajo Nation beauty pageant. Not only must contestants exhibit poise and grace as those in typical pageants, they must also answer tough questions in Navajo and demonstrate proficiency in skills essential to daily tribal life: fry-bread making, rug weaving and sheep butchering. The film follows the path of 21-year old Crystal Frazier, a not-so-fluent Navajo speaker and self-professed introvert, as she undertakes the challenges of the pageant. Produced & directed by Billy Luther. Dist. Cinema Guild. 2006. 53 min. DVD X363

A discussion with Sam Scott (Creek), Archie Sam (Cherokee/Creek) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) concerning their childhood experiences and the music of their tribes. They demonstrate religious and tribal songs. 60 min. Video/C 6205

Music of the Sacred Fire: The Stomp Dance of the Oklahoma Cherokee.

A discussion with Willie Jumper (Cherokee), Archie Sam (Cherokee/Creek) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) of the religious symbolism underlying Cherokee ceremonies. Includes a performance of various types of stomp dances. 56 min. Video/C 6204

Nanook of the North (1922)

Credits: Photography, Robert Flaherty; music, Stanley Silverman. A saga of an Eskimo (Inuit) family pitting their strength against a vast and inhospitable Arctic. Juxtaposes their struggle for survival against the elements with the human warmth of the little family. 69 min. DVD 30 (Restored version); 79 min. Video/C 5686 (Director's cut; remastered version. Includes Flaherty on film: Mrs. Frances Flaherty remembers Nanook of the North, 1958, 8 min.). Video/C 3938

Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North created the very genre of film documentary, with its documentation of the Inuit and Eskimo traditions. This film revisits Inukjiak, the site of Flaherty's filming to critically re-examine the realities behind the ground-breaking documentary and the changes since it was made almost 70 years ago. Director, Claude Massot; writers, Claude Massot, Sebastien Regnier. 55 min. DVD 2915; also VHS Video/C 5824

The Year of the Hunter

This documentary tells the story of the making of Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North and the Inuit who starred in the film. Clips from the original motion picture are interspersed with dramatizations in which Adamie Inukpuk, Nanook's great-grandson, plays the famed hunter. 2004. 51 min. DVD 3734

Navajo Code Talkers.

Describes the role of a select group of Navajo Marines who developed a code based on their own native language that provided a means for secure communications among American forces in the Pacific during World War II. c1998. 43 min. Video/C 6445

Navajo Talking Picture.

Documents the life of Arlene Bowman's grandmother on the Navajo Reservation in Lower Greasewood, Arizona. Also documents the filming of her granddaughter, who does not know Navajo, as she tries to get help interpreting for another film that she'll be in along with her grandmother. Looks at the contrasting attitudes of the grandmother, living and thinking in traditional ways, to being filmed and the granddaughter as the urbanized filmmaker who grew up speaking English among white people. Directed by Arlene Bowman 1986. 40 min. DVD X6711; Video/C 4218

Deals with the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indians, using original footage shot between 1927 and 1941 and interviews with elderly Potawatomi conducted in 1979. Shows traditional domestic, subsistence, and religious activities and tells of their continued battle against assimilation. Produced and directed by Donald D. Stull. 1979. 30 min. Video/C MM755

New Orleans' Black Indians: A Case Study in the Arts

Pre-lenten Mardi Gras in New Orleans serves as the background for this study of a mixture between American Indians and Blacks who compose the Black Indian tribes of New Orleans. The traditions, costumes, songs and dances date back more than 100 years and create living history of their folk art which is passed from generation to generation. 1983. 23 min. Video/C 9885

Nunavut

An ethnohistoric television series which recreates the traditional nomadic lifestyle of Inuit in the Igloolik region of the Canadian Arctic in 1945. The series follows five families through the different seasons of an Arctic year. http://www.isuma.ca/.

Episode 1: Qimuksiq = Dog team --
Episode 2: Avaja.

Qimuksiq: Spring 1945. Shows Inuaraq's family travelling in the Arctic spring. Inuaraq teaches his young son how to survive in the old way: driving the dogs, building the igloo, catching seals on the open water, running down caribou to feed the family. Avaja: Spring 1945. Inuaraq's family finally arrives at Avaja to a warm welcome. But on the hill above the tents, they now find a wooden church and a priest. Sharing the fresh caribou feast, telling stories, the Inuit are interrrupted by the bell ringing. Inside the church the sermon is clear: Paul 4:22, "Turn away from your old way of life.'. 60 min. Video/C 9190

Qarmaq: Fall 1945. Grandmother remembers the old way. Five families build a stone house to prepare for the coming winter. Tugaliaq: Fall 1945. Even here, news of the terrible world war raging outside makes people frightened and uneasy. They talk of the danger of the unknown future, of shamanistic intervention to protect their culture. The weather turns colder with a north wind blowing. Inuaraq builds his sod house, Qulitalik cuts the ice blocks for the porch. Angiraq: Fall 1945. Akkitiq wakes up to a nice day for seal hunting. The stone house is warm and comfortable. Men pack up the dog team and look for seals on the fresh ice while women work at home. Sometimes the squabbling of children leads to trouble among families. The series follows five families through the different seasons of an Arctic year. 90 min. Video/C 9191

Auriaq: Spring 1946. It is the season of never-ending days. Two dog teams search the spring ice as men and boys hunt for seals day and night. The seals are everywhere: at the breathing holes, sleeping under the warm sun. Then Amachlainuk has a lucky day. Qulangisi: Spring 1946. Seal pups are hunted; a springtime delicacy prized for their soft fur and tender meat. When the pups start coming out on the ice, even small children and grandmothers can hunt. Packed up to travel, the families move slowly over the wet ice, through lakes of fresh melting snow, hunting on the way. Finding the breathing holes is a joyful game for everyone. Avamuktulik: Spring 1946. Inuaraq throws his bones at the river and finds the fish swimming back and forth. Back at the tent Qulitalik sends the young men out with fish spears to try their luck. The walk up the rushing river is exciting but treacherous.
90 min. Video/C 9192

Aiviaq: Summer 1946. The Priest arrives to study Inuit life, to dig in the ancient ruins and to see the hunt. When it's time to go hunting, Inuaraq thinks the Priest will bring bad luck, but Qulitalik finally gives in. Out in the open water, cutting up walrus on an ice floe, Inuaraq's prediction almost comes true. Qaisut: Summer 1946. After the walrus hunt everyone is happy. There will be lots to eat for a long time. Children climb the famous cliffs of Qaisut, exploring paths and ruins left by hunters from the ancient times. Suddenly Grandmother sees a polar bear after the meat. Quickly men and dogs rush to protect the camp. 60 min. Video/C 9193

Tuktuliaq: Fall-Winter 1946. Inuaraq and Qulitalik take their families over to Qiqiqtaaluk, the Big Island (Baffin Island), for the caribou hunt. It's an early autumn and the weather is already getting colder. Lakes are frozen and sea ice will thicken any day now. Abundant caribou feed Inuit families all winter. Unaaq: Fall-Winter 1946. Sitting around the stone house carving a harpoon, Qulitalik starts talking about the year gone past. Everyone joins in with stories and laughter. Tea is boiling over the seal lamps, children playing on the caribou skin beds. Home is warm and cozy. It is only when the young ones slip out the door to play outside that we hear the winter wind. Quviasuvik: Fall-Winter 1946. It's almost a month since the sun disappeared. It is Christmas Day, and for Inuit in 1946, Christmas is a mixture of old and new rituals. With lots of meat from a good year hunting, and a warm shelter against the blowing cold, this is a joyful time for celebration and stories. 90 min. Video/C 9194

People of the Klamath: of Land and Life.

Program tracing the history of the Native American peoples of the Klamath Valley and examining forces threatening the traditional lifestyles, such as the controversial Gasquet-Orleans road. 29 min. Video/C 1834

Pomo Basketweavers: A Tribute to Three Elders.

Portrays current and past ways of life of the Pomo Indians and demonstrates the skill of Pomo basketmaking, featuring three well-known elders. Condensed version of the three-part series of the same title. 1994. 60 min. Video/C 5112

Pt. 1. The people, the baskets -- Pt. 2. A history of change, a continuing tradition -- Pt. 3. The people, the plants, the rules.
Presented in 3 parts, offers an extensive examination of current and past ways of life of the Pomo Indians and demonstrates the skill of Pomo basketmaking, featuring three well-known elders. Producer/director, David R. Ludwig. 1994. 87 min. Video/C MM620

Rare record of the second and final night of a shamanistic curing ceremony among the Kashia group of Southwestern Pomo Indians. The Indian "sucking doctor" is a prophet of the Bole Maru religion and the spiritual head of the community. 20 min. DVD X5807; vhs Video/C 2428

Qaggiq: A Late-winter Inuit Camp in the 1930's. Four families build a qaggiq, a large communal igloo, to celebrate the coming of spring with games, singing and drum dancing. A young man seeks a wife. The girl's father says no, but her mother says yes... Nunaqpa: Summer in the 1930's. For Igloolik Inuit, it is the time of nunaqpa, 'going inland,' the long walk in search of summer-fat caribou to cache enough meat for the hard winter ahead. Two families leave for the hunt, while the old couple waits by the shore for their return... Saputi: As summer ends near Igloolik in the 1930's, three families build a saputi to trap fish going upriver for the winter. The days are getting shorter and young people daydream while waiting for the fish to come. But nature is not always predictable... Video/C 9195

The Return of Navajo Boy

The resurfacing of a decades old film reunites a man and his family and explores radioactivity problems on the Navajo reservation. The original film, Navajo Boy, produced by Robert J. Kennedy, chronicles the Cly and Begay families. The new film, Return of Navajo Boy, juxtaposes the families' lives now and then. The current film also explores the effects of uranium exposure from the mines on the Navajo Nation on the health of the Navajo people. It documents the return/reunion of John Wayne Cly, a Navaho boy, taken as a child by missionaries around 40 years ago from his Navajo family. 2000. 52 min. Video/C 8913

A penetrating look at how the Lakota (Sioux) of South Dakota have been impacted by the life of Crazy Horse. Tribal members comment on how Crazy Horse might feel about the current issues facing the Lakota today, including the U.S. government's confiscation of the Black Hills. The film also examines the Crazy Horse Memorial, the largest rock sculpture in the world. Featuring Russell Means and Jay Red Hawk. Directed and produced by Oliver Tuthill. 2011. 81 min. DVD X7079

The Right To Be Mohawk.

Presents the Mohawk struggle to preserve their land, language, religion, history and world-view in the face of white demands and encroachments. 17 min. Video/C1801

Science or Sacrilege: Native Americans, Archaeology & the Law

Discusses the issue of the controversy between Indians and scientists on the excavations and study of Indian burial grounds and remains. Examines the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) passed in 1990, its underlying moral and political issues, its practical consequences, and the prospects for science in the post-NAGPRA world. Written and produced by Nicholas Nicastro. 1996. 57 min. DVD X3251

Chauncey and Dorothy Neboyia, grandparents to an extended family of two generations, maintain their existence by farming, weaving, and tending sheep in a traditional hogan without water or electricity. Their children live in tract homes and their grand children attend modern public schools. 60 min. Video/C 2258

The Silent Enemy.

A fictional documentary which presents a study of the Ojibway Indians' struggle for food before the coming of the Europeans. Tells of the rivalry between Baluk, the hunter, and Dagwan, the medicine man, for the chief's daughter and the leadership of the tribe in the coming winter. Filmed in Northern Ontario with an all-Indian cast. 110 min. Video/C 999:891

Siulipta Paitaat (Our Ancestors' Heritage

A documentary about the land and people of the Bering Land Bridge as told by Inupiat elders Gideon K. Barr, Sr. and his sister Bessie Barr Cross. They share folk tales and traditions as well as details of their own lives illustrating 20th century changes and challenges to Inupiat culture. Also shows their work with archeologists to discover a past beyond the reach of their ancestors' oral traditions. 30 min. Video/C 9374

The Spirit of Crazy Horse.

A history of the century long effort by the Lakota Sioux to reclaim their land and culture. Videocassette release of television program Frontline televised on Dec. 18, 1990. 58 min. DVD 9866 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 1936

Presents, in its entirety, the second and final night of a healing ceremony held by the Kashaya group of the Southwestern Pomo Indians. Shows how on the first night, while the shaman was in a hypnotic trance, the patient's pain was located and the germs removed from his body. Recorded at the Kashia Reservation near Stewarts Point, California June 1, 1963. 50 min. Video/C 7868

Summer of the Loucheux: Portrait of a Northern Indian Family.

Shows how a twenty-eight-year-old native Loucheux Indian leaves her city job every summer to go fishing with her family, renewing her relationship to the land. Uses archival photos in reconstructing the recollections of her grandmother and provides an overall observation of Loucheux traditions. 29 min. Video/C 1833

Surviving Columbus: The Story of the Pueblo People.

Using stories from Pueblo elders, interviews with Pueblo scholars and leaders, archival photographs, and historical accounts, this program explores the Pueblo Indians' 450-year struggle to preserve their culture, land, and religion despite European contact. 113 min. Video/C 3882

The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy

Documents the Cherokees as they lost their land and the difficult conditions they endured on the trail. Describes how thousands of Cherokees died during the Trail of Tears, nearly a quarter of the nation, including most of their children and elders. Contents: Introduction -- Pre-1800's -- Sequoyah/the phoenix -- Cherokee government -- Jackson's policies -- Eve of removal -- Tradgedy [i.e. tragedy] of removal -- Removal camps -- Life on the trail -- Tradgedy [i.e. tragedy] of the trail -- Aftermath. Director, Chip Richie. 2006. 115 min. DVD 6823

This World is Not Our Home.

Introduction to the history, culture, and traditions of the Pomo people of northern California, as seen through the eyes of Elvina Brown, a tribal elder noted for her dedication to preserving and teaching the Pomo heritage. Whether she is cooking Indian tacos, teaching Pomo songs and dances, or telling a Pomo story, Elvina Brown displays the age-old wisdom, sense of humor, and spirit of perseverance that have fortified her tribe and family through years of transition and change. 1994. 14 min. Video/C MM 730

A film by Shigeko Kubota. A video "diary" of Kubota's stay with a Navajo family on a reservation. Featuring Kubota's often haunting, often witty electronic manipulation, this video document is an autobiographical journal of cultural identity and difference. 1974. 26 min. Video/C 5202

Voices of the Sierra Tarahumara

In the face of grave political and environmental danger, the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico are surviving the worst of human rights violations. The drug cartels of central Mexico have illegally taken over the Tarahumara aboriginal land, deforested without permission, planted massive quantities of marijuana and opium, and enslaved the people to cultivate the drug fields. Many Indians have been murdered, and survivors live in absolute terror. Written and directed by Robert Brewster, Felix Arthur Gehm. c2001. 51 min. DVD X3256

Members of several northern California Indian tribes describe their way of life before the imposition of a foreign culture. Explores effects of conventional White-oriented programs such as loss of cultural heritage and identity. Native American teachers discuss historical methods of Indian education and ways that both methods and content might be incorporated in the mainstream of American education. 33 min. Video/C 61

A Weave of Time: The Story of a Navajo Family 1930-1986.

A documentary film which includes film footage and photographs from 1938 of four generations of a Navajo family. Portrays the impact of modernization on the lives of this Native American family as well as their efforts to maintain their traditions. 60 min. Video/C 1246

[Yazzie, Sam] Sam Yazzie, Navaho Singer.

A discussion with Sam Yazzie (Navajo) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee). Yazzie talks about his life and demonstrates traditional Navajo dance music, including the squaw dance. 61 min. Video/C 6302

You Are On Indian Land.

Documents the demonstration of Mohawk Indians, living on the St. Regis reserve in Cornwall, Ont., as they protest payment of import duties on personal purchases made in the U.S., claiming exemption under the provisions of the Jay treaty of 1794. Made in collaboration with Noel Starblanket and Mike Mitchell of the Indian Film Crew, and people of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. 1969. 37 min. Video/C MM389

Tells the tragic story of Joseph Idlout, an Inuit hunter,who attained celebrity status in 1950's Canada as a model eskimo in the "good Indian" mold. Through his son, Peter Paniloo, the film takes us on a poignant journey through Idlout's life. 58 min. Video/C 3635

Filmmaker Tracey Deer uses Kahnawake, her hometown, as a lens to probe deeply into the history and contemporary reality of Aboriginal identity. Following the stories of four women, she reveals the exclusionary attitudes that divide the community and many others like it across Canada. Deer traces the roots of the problem, from the advent of the highly discriminatory Indian Act through the controversy of Bill C31, up to the present day, where membership on the reserve is determined by a council of Mohawk elders, whose rulings often appear inconsistent. And with her own home as a poignant case study, she raises a difficult question faced by people of many ethnicities across the world: What roles do bloodline and culture play in determining identity? Written and directed by Tracey Deer. 2007. 78 min. DVD X3802

Finding Dawn gets its title from Dawn Crey, one of the estimated 500 Canadian Native women who have gone missing or have been murdered in the last thirty years. Illustrates the deep historical, social and economic factors that contribute to the epidemic of violence against Native women in Canada and the world-wide culture of impunity that allows murders of women -- especially those who are poor, indigenous, or sex workers -- to go unsolved and unpunished. Directed and written by Christine Welsh. 2006. 73 min. DVD X1084

Attempt of Huu-ay-aht (Ohiant) First Nation in British Columbia to preserve watershed on Sarita River, documenting the devastating impact on the forest, the river and the Ohiant Nation of clear-cut logging in the region half a century ago and how the Ohiant are taking a nonconfrontational approach to reclaiming and restoring the river. A film by Peter von Puttkamer. 1996. 58 min. Video/C MM779

In the Reign of Twilight.

An investigation of the Inuit of Northern Canada and the impact of Canadian and American military installations upon their culture. Together the two countries created a high-tech outpost where the Inuit are trapped between the ancient and the post-modern. With their old economy destroyed, the Inuit turned to the creation and exporting of traditional sculpture. Includes interviews with Inuit natives, Canadian government officials and newsreel footage to highlight the social impact of military intrusion into arctic. 88 min. Video/C 4745

Inuit: The People at the Navel of the Earth (Inughuit: folket vid jordens navel)

Documents the Inuit way of life in the vast silent land and seascape of the Thule district of northernmost Greenland. The annual cycle of the Inughuit is governed by the movements of the animals and changes between light and darkness. This film examines the transition between past and future as time honored traditions co-exist with the onset of the "modern." c1985. 85 min. Video/C 7883

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance

On a hot July day in 1990, a historic confrontation propelled Native issues in Kanehsatake and the village of Oka, Quebec into the international spotlight and into the Canadian conscience. Behind Mohawk lines that gruelling summer, producer and director Alanis Obomsawin, herself an Abenaki Indian, endured 78 nerve-wracking days and nights filming an armed standoff between the Kanehsatake Mohawk people of First Nations, the Quebec police and the Canadian army. Writer/director, Alanis Obomsawin. 120 min. Video/C 3877

The Last Days of Shishmaref

A documentary on the first victims of global warming. The filmmakers travel to a small village in northwest Alaska, home to an Inupiaq Eskimo community, where homes are literally falling into the sea. The entire village is expected to disappear within 10 years. The Inupiaq community is now facing a very difficult and expensive decision – whether to move the entire village to the mainland, an act that will irreparably change their community, their livelihood, culture and traditions. Director, Jan Louter. Dist.: Cinema Guild. 2008. 90 min. DVD X2114

Magic in the Sky.

Tells how the issue of who would control the content of television programming became a topic of immense concern when, in 1972, Canada launched a telecommunications satellite. Shows how a coalition of Inuits got access to a satellite channel for six months and created their own programming. Looks at the potential impact of network television. 1983. 57 min. Video/C 746

Nipi: Rapid change from traditional to modern life in Nunavut, has concentrated power, wealth and information in a few hands. This video examines fundamental questions of democracy, power and change in Nunavut and indirectly in Canada itself; in education, religion, gender, lifestyle, the distribution of economic development and the make-up and inner structure of the new leadership class. Presents Inuit leaders and elders, in their own voices, talking about leadership in the old way of life, and in the new. Arviq: Traces the history of the bowhead whale in the Arctic: from its traditional importance to Inuit, the devastation to near extinction by commercial whaling, as well as the media circus surrounding the legal hunt in 1996. Video/C 9197

Passage

In 1845, celebrated British explorer Sir John Franklin, along with his crew of 128 men, set sail from England in search of a fabled passage west. None of them were ever seen again. A search party found no evidence of any crew or wreckage. The mystery was eventually solved by John Rae, and his discoveries were so horrific that a public campaign was begun to discredit Rae. Set in the actual locations of Rae's journey, film uses both dramatic action and documentary footage. Written and directed by John Walker. 2008. DVD X2146

A Canadian television series that takes an unfiltered look at life on a First Nations reservation though the lives of three smart teenagers with more attitude than even they can handle. A spin-off series based on the characters from the popular movie "Dance Me Outside," based on the book by W.P. Kinsella. Cast: Ryan Black, Darrell Dennis, Jennifer Podemski. Contains all 19 episodes of both seasons. Originally produced from 1996-1997. 420 min. DVD X3598

Presentation of various American Indian dances performed with Native American drums and music accompaniment. 60 min. Video/C 1865

And Woman Wove It in a Basket.

This documentary interweaves three themes: several legends, including the legend of the first cedar basket; black and white photos and films of Klikitat Indians fishing and daily life; contemporary scenes of Nettie Kuneki and her family preparing materials and weaving cedar baskets. 70 min. Video/C 4208

Beyond Tradition: Contemporary Indian Art and its Evolution.

Presents more than three hundred examples of prehistoric, historic and contemporary American Indian art. 45 min., index to the art & artists inside container. Video/C 1765

Buffalo Dance(1894)

"In the year of 1872, former soldier and frontiersman "Buffalo" Bill Cody decided to enter show business by creating a traveling company dedicated to perform little plays based on his very own adventures while living in the wild west. 11 years later, in 1883, what started as a little company would become the "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show, an enormous spectacle conceived as a Western-themed circus where Buffalo Bill and company would perform many stunts or shows and bring the experience of the Wild West to the East. Soon Buffalo Bill's show became the most popular attraction of the 19th Century and so, in 1894, members of his show were invited to Thomas Alva Edison's "Black Maria" in order to participate in the making of Kinetoscope films about the show. The legendary "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show was now part of cinema history.
"Buffalo Dance" is one of several movies done by members of Buffalo Bill's show in those days. What makes this one stand out is that its one of the two (along "Sioux Ghost Dance") done about the Native Americans of the show, as the shooting of the two films (on September 24, 1894) represents the first time Native Americans appeared on film. As the title implies, this movie shows three Sioux Indians performing the "Buffalo Dance", while two others appear in the background playing the music with their drums. The Buffalo dance seems to be more ancient than the ritual Ghost Dance, and this movie captures it in a very good and detailed way, making it an invaluable source about Native Americans in that period ." [IMDB] DVD 3552: Disc 1

Presents the world famous Hopi jeweler Charles Loloma, displays some of his work and discusses his heritage; also profiles Helen Hardin painting sophisticated geometric patterns and traditional Indian motifs while exploring her attempt to integrate the Indian and artist parts of herself. 60 min. Video/C 1579

Dances of the Kwakiutl.

Dances of the Kwakiutl is composed of fragments filmed in 1950 in Fort Rupert, British Columbia. They were made during a performance by those still familiar with the tradition of Hamatsa or cannibal dancing. This type of dance was brought to impressive artistic heights by the Kwakiutl people of the Northwest coast. A film by Robert Gardner. 1951. 9 min. DVD 5517

The traditions and family customs of the Omaha Indian Tribe are celebrated in this program that takes a look at the tribe's 184th annual powwow. The program examines the origins of this ceremonial celebration held during the first full moon of August, and includes numerous interviews and examples of traditional and fancy dancing performed in traditional regalia. 1988. 30 min. Video/C 5308</p>

Fonseca: In Search of Coyote

Albuquerque based native American artist Harry Fonseca describes the relationship between coyote mythologies and other southwestern folklore in his art. A film by Mary Louise King and Fred Aronow. c1983. 30 min. Video/C MM659

From the Roots: California Indian Basketweavers /

Filmed on location at 1991, 1992 & 1993 California Indian Basketweavers gatherings. Members of the California Indian Basketweavers Association meet annually, working together to sustain the tradition of basketweaving. They address problems faced by basketweavers including the destruction and inaccessibility of traditional sites for gathering materials. 1996. 52 min. Video/C MM848

Haa Shagoon.

Documents Tlingit Indian ceremonies in Haines, Alaska along the Chilkoot River, ancestral home of the Chilkoot Tlingit. The ceremony, which is being held for the first time in decades, consists of prayers, songs and dances. 199? 29 min. Video/C MM706

Explains the reasons why totem poles were carved by the Indian tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Shows examples of early and contemporary totem poles depicting the cultural revival currently underway through renowned artists such as Robert Davidson or Joe David. These artists present their work and explain how the great symbolic figures depicted in totem poles expresses Indian spirituality and their relation with their natural surroundings. 1999. 51 min. Video/C 7605

Into the Circle.

An Introduction to Oklahoma powwows and celebrations. Oklahoma, the original Indian Territory, is still home to more Native Americans and more tribes than any other state. It's an ideal location to see the widest array of dancers, singers and regalia. Slow motion sequences of national champions show the grace, power and intricate steps of dance styles. 1992. 58 min. DVD 6158; vhs Video/C 3059

Keep Your Heart Strong.

Introduces ceremonies, songs and dances in American Indian powwows in celebrating and preserving American Indian cultures. 58 min. Video/C 1859

A discussion with Sam Scott (Creek), Archie Sam (Cherokee/Creek) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) concerning their childhood experiences and the music of their tribes. They demonstrate religious and tribal songs. 60 min. Video/C 6205

Music of the Sacred Fire: The Stomp Dance of the Oklahoma Cherokee.

A discussion with Willie Jumper (Cherokee), Archie Sam (Cherokee/Creek) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee) of the religious symbolism underlying Cherokee ceremonies. Includes a performance of various types of stomp dances. 56 min. Video/C 6204

A tribute to the musical and cultural legacy of Jim Pepper, a contemporary Native American jazz musician. Pepper is one of the innovators in jazz-rock fusion as well as world music. He learned peyote chants at his grandfather's knee in Oklahoma and then went on to successfully fuse Native American music with jazz. 1995. 57 min. Video/C 5136

Pomo Basketweavers: A Tribute to Three Elders.

Portrays current and past ways of life of the Pomo Indians and demonstrates the skill of Pomo basketmaking, featuring three well-known elders. Condensed version of the three-part series of the same title. 1994. 60 min. Video/C 5112

Pt. 1. The people, the baskets -- Pt. 2. A history of change, a continuing tradition -- Pt. 3. The people, the plants, the rules.
Presented in 3 parts, offers an extensive examination of current and past ways of life of the Pomo Indians and demonstrates the skill of Pomo basketmaking, featuring three well-known elders. Producer/director, David R. Ludwig. 1994. 87 min. Video/C MM620

Explores the spiritual and cultural dimensions of native Americans' first confrontation with Europeans as it weaves historical accounts with contemporary Pueblo interpretations of events. It shows the experience through stories by elders, historic Pueblos,
archival photographs and footage, dramatic readings, the beauty of landscapes, and Pueblo art, stories, and music. 26 min. Video/C 4003

Pueblo Renaissance. (Native American Series.)

Provides a view of the history, sacred traditions and the ancient religious and agricultural ceremonies of the Pueblo Indians. c1976. 26 min. Video/C 5817 /p>

Release Me O' Lord: Black Indian Mardi Gras

It's Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Black Indian tribes are dancing and singing their way through neighborhood streets. The performace features elaborate costumes, dance and verbal battles as the Black Indian tribes of New Orleans perform dances, music and songs to symbolically triumph over oppression, as their Maroon ancestors actually did over the evil institution of slavery. Written and produced by Teri S. Massoth. 1999. 15 min. Video/C 8710

Presents major areas where rock art and petroglyphs may be found in California, taken over a span of 24 years highlighting places where Native Californians have left traces of their lifeways and thought, and the often extraordinary beauty of these places. These visual records also have historic value presenting the work of pioneers in rock art studies, the discoveries that were made and return visits to old sites that were deteriorating and efforts at conservation that were being undertaken. Originally created between 1981-2004. DVD 3075

Rock Paintings of Baja California.

Examines the rock paintings at a recently discovered site in a remote area of Baja California. Provides a brief introduction to prehistoric rock paintings in various parts of the world and compares the style of the Baja paintings to those found elsewhere. Explains their age, how they were painted, and their significance to the Indians who painted them. Videorecording is a copy of the 1976 revised version of the motion picture issued in 1969 under same title. Directed by Flora Clar Mock. 17 min. Video/C MM807

Roots of Beauty

Uses film and weaver's voices to detail the complex processes through which Pomo Indian weavers from Northern California cultivate, manage, harvest and prepare the native materials used in their baskets. Produced and directed by Jed Riffe and Sherrie Smith-Ferri. 1999. 17 min. DVD X3279

"While much of the print of this feature has deteriorated badly, and while the footage itself may strike many present-day viewers as simply emphasizing stereotyped portrayals of Native Americans, it is still of some interest as an example of early studio practices. It was one of a number of features that the Edison Company filmed at around the same time using performers from the Buffalo Bill Wild West exhibition, but this one in particular was made not for domestic viewing, but rather for European distribution.
The Edison Company was always on the lookout for money-making and money-saving ideas, and many of their early features were financed by potential distributors, at little or no cost to Edison. According to film historian Charles Musser (in an interview accompanying Kino's DVD collection of Edison films), this particular movie was one such example, having been made as part of promoting the Wild West's upcoming tour of Europe.
The footage itself is not especially impressive, in large part because of damage done to the film over time. It does apparently use genuine members of the Sioux tribe, and in viewing it, it should also be remembered that the constraints of filming inside the Edison Company's 'Black Maria' studio almost certainly hindered the dancers' ability to do the dance on its usual scale. As a result, they seem to be unnaturally scrunched together for most of the running time.
In any case, the fascination with the 'wild west', its myths, and its figures seems to have been at least as strong in Europe as it was in the USA, and this brief movie is one illustration of that. It is also one of many illustrations of the competitive business practices of the earliest film-makers - there seems never to have been a time when movie-making was not a serious business to some." [IMDB] A group of Sioux Indians from Buffalo Bill's Wild West exhibition demonstrates a dance called a "ghost dance". DVD 3552: Disc 1

Song Journey.

A video journal of a trip through the powwow circuit in the United States and Canada in 1993. Looks at how women from a variety of tribes in North America participate in powwows and at how these women view their role in the music, dance, and costume associated with the powwow, in particular, the use of women as drummer/singers and dancers. 57 min. Video/C 4207

[Swentzell, Roxanne] Roxanne Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo)

Features an interview with ceramic sculptor Roxanne Swentzell of the Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. She demonstrates how she creates her ceramic sculptures and as she works, expounds upon how her art evolved and tells her life story in a narrative that is personal and insightful. Includes many samples or her finished ceramic figurines. 2005. 24 min. DVD 9779

Features an interview with New Mexico pottery maker Lonnie Vigil, a Native American of Nambe heritage. As he demonstrates the making of a piece of pottery, he explains his philosophy of art and tells his life story in a first person narrative that is personal and insightful. 2004. 21 min. DVD 9779

[Yazzie, Sam] Sam Yazzie, Navaho Singer.

A discussion with Sam Yazzie (Navajo) and Charlotte Heth (Cherokee). Yazzie talks about his life and demonstrates traditional Navajo dance music, including the squaw dance. 61 min. Video/C 6302

Native Americans talk about the importance of a vital oral tradition in passing down cultural values and identity, and spiritual understanding about the need to live in harmony with nature and the world. 1984. 57 min. Video/C 7195

Box of Treasures

Many years ago, the Canadian government "confiscated" numerous ritual possessions belonging to the Kwakiutl Indians and forbade them to hold illegal pot latch ceremonies. In 1980, after years of struggle and negotiations, these sacred objects were returned to the tribe. This program looks at the resulting celebration and the present-day efforts of the Kwakiutl to keep their culture and heritage alive. A film by Chuck Olin. 1980. 28 min. Video/C 8952

The Broken Cord with Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris.(World of Ideas with Bill Moyers).

Bill Moyers interviews husband and wife writing team Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich. They explain how traditions of spirit and memory weave through the lives of many Native Americans and how alcoholism and despair have shattered so many other lives. Also discussed are the effect of fetal alcohol syndrome on their adopted son and on the Native American community as a whole. 29 min. DVD X1408; vhs Video/C 1853

Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indians

Edward S. Curtis was a driven, pioneer photographer who set out in 1900 to document traditional Indian life. He became the most famous photographer of his time and created an enormous body of work. This film tells the dramatic story of Curtis's life, his monumental work, and his changing views of the people he set out to document. American Indians who are using his photographs for cultural preservation respond to the pictures, tell stories about the people in the photographs and discuss the meaning of the images. A film by Anne Makepeace. 2000. 86 min. DVD 3194; also VHS Video/C 4380

A documentary on Native American (and some African) storytelling traditions. Through interviews with Native American and African storytellers, poets and writers, explores initiation into the calling of storyteller; the influence of story in the Native American sense of kinship and right relationship with nature; and compares and contrasts oral storytelling with the writing of poetry and novels. Includes: Dennis Muchisky, Matthew Jones, N. Scott Momaday, Ofelia Zepeda, Larry Evers, Felipe Molina, Wendy Rose, Oyekan Owomoyela, Laura Tohe, Charles Ballard, Gerald Vizenor, Ramona Greany, Joy Harjo, James Welch.1990. 59 min. Video/C 5311

Don't Get Sick After June: American Indian Healthcare

Declared wards of the state, Native Americans negotiated housing, education and healthcare in numerous treaties with the U.S. Government. Like so many other federal promises, these too have not been met. The budget shortfall to the Indian Health Service continues. Add to this the generational trauma of subjugation, reservations, boarding schools and alienation, their health and their healthcare is in a critical state. This is the story of the program's inception under the Department of War through the latest promise -- renewed recognition of our government's obligation to America's first people. Director, Chip Richie. c2010. 57 min. DVD X5467

Drumbeat for Mother Earth: How Persistent Organic Pollutants Threaten the Natural Environment and the Future of Indigenous Peoples

A profile of photographer, anthropologist, and filmaker Curtis, who spent 34 years recording the American Indian tradition. Between 1896 and 1930 Curtis collected interviews and original Indian stories, recorded some 10,000 songs and took 40,000 photographs. 89 min. Video/C 353

Eyanopopi: The Heart of the Sioux.

This program shows the Sioux spiritual and cultural landmarks in the Black Hills, South Dakota, and documents the struggle to keep their heritage intact. 29 min. Video/C 1762

Esther Shea: The Bear Stands Up

A portrait of Tlingit elder Esther Shea of the Tongass Bear Clan who has dedicated her life to teaching the language, songs, and values of Tlingit traditional life in Southeast Alaska. c1998. 29 min. Video/C MM903

The Exiles

"Selected for the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, The Exiles (1961) is an incredible feature film by Kent MacKenzie chronicling a day in the life of a group of twenty-something Native Americans who left reservation life in the 1950s to live in the district of Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, California. Bunker Hill was then a blighted residential locality of decayed Victorian mansions, sometimes featured in the writings of Raymond Chandler, John Fante and Charles Bukowski. The structure of the film is that of a narrative feature, the script pieced together from interviews with the documentary subjects." [Milestone catalog] Written, produced and directed by Kent Mackenzie. Dist. Milestone Film & Video. 1961. 72 min. DVD 9949

Ghost Dance.

Uses music, paintings, historical photographs, poetry, and views of the landscape to commemorate the centennial of the massacre of Lakota Chief Big Foot and three hundred of his people on December 29, 1890, at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. Most of those killed were followers of the Ghost Dance religion which promised the return of the old way of life. 9 min. Video/C 2647

An exploration of the intertwined lives of people and corn, illustrating the traditional, spiritual, economic and political importance of corn in the lives of indigenous peoples of North America. c1998. 49 min. Video/C 6999

Going Home: The California Indian Library Collections Project.

Documents the California Indian library collections project of the Lowie Museum of Anthropology which places copies of relevant historic photographs, sound recordings, field notes and personal narratives in county library collections near reservations. 23 min. Video/C 1928

Healing of Nations: Cultural Revival in the Native Indian Communities

All across the country, Native American youth are being introduced to traditional teachings and ceremonies in an attempt to empower and motivate them. It provides positive models and attainable solutions to some of the most critical problems facing them, including substance abuse, high drop-out rates, and low self-esteem. Directed by Peter Von Puttkamer. 1994. 49 min. Video/C MM825

For 99 years, the residents of Salamanca, N.Y. have rented the land under their homes for an average of $1.00 a year from the Seneca Indians, under the terms of a lease imposed by Congress. Now the lease is about to expire. This film is about the conflict of the survival of the town and justice for the Senecas. Originally broadcast on the television series: Point of View. 1993. 54 min. Video/C 5343

Honored by the Moon.

Native American lesbians and gay men talk about their lives. They speak of their unique historical and spiritual role, and of the sacredness associated with being lesbian or gay and having the power to bridge the worlds of male and female. 1990. 15 min. Video/C 3307

Made by filmmaker Julia Lesage. African-American, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, Chicano/Latin American and Native American undergraduate and graduate students discuss their expectations about college life before they came to the University of Oregon and the reality they encountered while at the university and they examine their experiences with racism and discrimination. 42 min. Video/C 3007

In the White Man's Image

Tells the story of the attempt to assimilate American Indians into white culture by educating them at special schools such as the Carlisle School for Indians. Founded by Richard Henry Pratt, this school and others like it attempted to wipe out all remnants of Indian culture, and, as a result, created a generation of Indians confused about their identities. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television series The American experience in 1991. Written and produced by Christine Lesiak; co-produced by Matthew L. Jones. 58 min. DVD 8664; vhs Video/C 2386

In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports

The Atlanta Braves. Kansas City Chiefs. Washington Redskins. Cleveland Indians. This film takes a critical look at the long-running practice of using Native American Indian nicknames as mascots in sports. It centers around a discussion of Chief Illiniwek as the University of Illinois mascot, and the effect the mascot has on Native American peoples. Graduate student Charlene Teters shares the impact of the Chief on her family. Interviewees include members of the Board of Regents, students, alumni, current and former "Chiefs" and members of the community. 47 min. Video/C 5891

Inipi, the breath of life: the Native American Sweatlodge Ceremony

Tells how and why the Indian sweatlodge is constructed, with commentary by ceremonial leaders of four different tribes: Chickasaw, Dineh (Navajo), Lakota Sioux, and Yaqui-Isleta. The film also provides a soundtrack of traditional songs and the shared wisdom of sweat lodge participants, intercut with beautiful "visions" of the natural landscape of the Southwest. 2003. 20 min. Video/C MM625

When Ishi suddenly appeared in rural Northern California in 1911, the country was stunned. His tribe as considered extinct; Ishi had lived in hiding for forty years . As the sole survivor, he had refused to surrender. His story embodies the strength and resilience of California's indigenous people. 57 min. DVD X3311; vhs Video/C 2861

A new edition of the film Ishi in two worlds by Richard C. Tomkins. Based upon the book Ishi in two worlds by Theodora Kroeber. Documentary of the life of Ishi, the sole survivor of a small band of Yahi Indians, who was found in 1911 in Oroville, California. Dramatizes the enormous contrast between his former primitive existence and his life in early twentieth-century San Francisco. 19 min. c1999. DVD 7930 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C MM663

I'tusto: To Rise Again

On August 29, 1997, the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation was rocked to the core as their ceremonial Bighouse became engulfed in an arsonist's fire. The Bighouse stands at the centre of their history, where traditional ceremonies make them a distinctive people. This film tells the powerful story of the Kwakiutl Indian Nation as they came together to re-build the Bighouse, concluding with the ceremonial dedication of the new building. c2000. 54 min. Video/C 7555

Jim Northrup: With Reservations

Jim Northrup, Native American storyteller, basket maker, writer, journalist, and author of "Walking the Rex Road", talks about his life and work. The film is organized around the seasons, using videopoems and videoessays to tell the story. c1995. 28 min. Video/C 9699

Joy Harjo

Native American author and poet Joy Harjo discusses her work and reads from her poetry, including "The woman who fell from the sky", "Secrets from the center of the world", "In mad love and war", and "She had some horses." Also includes excerpts from an interview of Harjo by native American author Geg Sarris. Recorded February 2, 1996 in Los Angeles, Calif. 60 min. Video/C 9000

Leslie Marmon Silko.

Profiles best known Native American woman author Leslie Marmon Silko, whose work is strongly rooted in her own matrilineal tribal background. Like all writing of lasting value, it uses particular experiences and places to reveal universal truths. Here, Silko discusses her own background and the interrelationship between her smaller, immediate Indian world and the larger brutal surrounding world. 1995. 42 min. Video/C 4996

Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris.

Bill Moyers interviews Native American novelists Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris who discuss the values of Native Americans as they apply to the difficulties they encounter today. 58 min. Video/C 1576

Mother of Many Children .

An examination of the role, socialization and living conditions of Canadian Indian and Eskimo women, focusing on the cycles of personal growth from birth to old age. Discusses their attempts to preserve native ways of life and their problems with discrimination. 1977. 58 min. Video/C MM905

My Father Calls Me Son: Racism and Native Americans.

Examination of the history of white oppression of the Native American from slavery to stereotyping for the movies. 29 min. DVD 1328; also VHS Video/C 31

N. Scott Momaday.(Native American Novelists)

N. Scott Momaday, the best-known of the Native American writers, has combined his study of Western literature with the themes and structures of his Kiowa Indian heritage. Here, Momaday discusses the Native American experience, and reveals the artist, thinker and imaginative creator at the core of his impressive and important body of work. 45 min. Video/C 4995

Native Americans.

48 min. each installment

The Northeast: Give and Take. Native Americans recount their own history of the Iroquois Confederacy and other tribes of the Northeast, including Mohawk, Seneca, Penobscot, Oneida, and Wampanoag. Video/C 4768

The Far West: Generous Spirit. Native Americans recount their own history of the northwestern tribes, including the Lummi, Salish, Chumash, Colville, and Yakima. Video/C 4767

The Southeast: No Matter How White. Native Americans recount their own history of the southeastern tribes, including the Choctaw, Seminole, Chickasaw, Creek, and Cherokee. Video/C 4768

The Plains. Part I: All Our Relations. Native Americans recount their own history of the tribes that lived and prospered on the Great Plains including the Crow, Comanche, Sioux, Kiowa, and Arapaho tribes. Video/C 4769

The Plains. Part II: Fields of Grass, Seas of Blood. A continuation of the history of the Great Plains tribes as recounted by Native Americans including the Crow, Comanche, Sioux, Kiowa, and Arapaho tribes. Contains discussions of the effects of alcohol on the Indian culture and the massacres at Sand Creek and Wounded Knee. Video/C 4770

On & Off the Res' w/Charlie Hill

Native American comedian Charlie Hill talks about his life and career, commenting on the art of stand-up comedy as well giving insights into the world of Indian humor. Includes clips from his performances and commentary by other comedians, Indian activists, friends and associates. c2000 59 min. DVD 5760; vhs Video/C 7654

Passing Poston: An American Story

Personal stories and moving archival footage tell the untold story of how Japanese internees were used by the US government to help develop a Native American reservation during World War II. Extra features include three short American propaganda films produced by the U.S. War Relocation Authority and the U.S. Office of War Information. Directed by Joe Fox and James Nubile. Special features: Making-of featurette (3 min.) ; Challenge to democracy (produced by The War Relocation Authority) (18 min.) ; Japanese relocation (produced by U.S. Office of War Information) (10 min.) ; Way ahead (produced by The War Relocation Authority) (14 min.) ; United News (Newsreel) (2 min.) ; deleted scenes ; filmmaker biography ; trailer. 2008. 60 min. DVD X1214

Pepper's Pow Wow.

A tribute to the musical and cultural legacy of Jim Pepper, a contemporary Native American jazz musician. Pepper is one of the innovators in jazz-rock fusion as well as world music. He learned peyote chants at his grandfather's knee in Oklahoma and then went on to successfully fuse Native American music with jazz. 1995. 57 min. Video/C 5136

The Peyote Road: Ancient Religion in Contemporary Crisis.

A documentary on the religious use of peyote by Native Americans and of efforts to establish protective legislation for practicing peyotism. Includes a 1994 legislative update discussing the passage of protective legislation. 1994. 59 min. Video/C 5181

An animated film which uses original images drawn by Quiche Maya Indians in the seventh century on funerary pottery to illustrate the Popol vuh, which is the sacred book of the Maya and includes their creation story and birth of the hero twins. Narration in English. 29 min. DVD 8615; vhs Video/C 2425 (English language version); Video/C 5620 (Spanish language version); Video/C 2803 (Tzeltal language version)

Documentary of Inuit Hivshu a.k.a. Robert E. Peary II, on a quest to trace the story of his great grandfather while coming to terms with his own ethnic identity. Through archival footage, photos and audio recordings chronicles Peary's exploration of the Arctic over more than twenty years and his controversial 1909 claim to be the first man to reach the North Pole. Also explores the activities of Franz Boas, the "father" of American anthropology, who viewed the Eskimos as barbarians, as "living fossils" for scientific study, focusing on the fate of the six Eskimos who traveled to New York with Peary, including the sole survivor, Minik, a six-year-old boy. Directed by Staffan Julen. 2006. 78 min. DVD 8637

Uses film clips to recap the plot and historical background to explain the immense popularity of Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel, which crystallized public opinion about the whites' maltreatment of Native Americans in much the same way that Uncle Tom's Cabin had done for African Americans. Originally produced for KCET television station, Los Angeles, in 1988. 28 min. Video/C 9443

Rabbit Boss.

Every autumn, in sagebrush valleys east of the Sierra Nevada, Washoe Indians renew an ancient connection with their natural environment. When the time is right a leader known as the "rabbit boss" assembles a group of hunters to move through the brush, driving jackrabbits before them. Also shown is the making of one of the last of the magnificent Washoe rabbit-skin blankets. Produced and directed by Mark Gandolfo, Tom King, JoAnne Peden. 1995. 28 min. Video/C MM805

Real Indian.

Presents a personal look at the meaning of cultural identity. Describes the complex world of the Lumbee Indian culture and questions the viewer's perceptions of Native Americans. Featuring Angeles Gonzales and Denni D. Woodward. c1999. 7 min. Video/C 7667

The Red Road to Sobriety

Places the alcohol problems of Native Americans within the context of the historical destruction of indigenous peoples and culture and the stereotype of the drunken Indian. Documents a growing social movement which combines ancient spiritual traditions with modern medical approaches in substance abuse recovery. Directors, Chante Pierce and Gary Rhine. 2005. 90 min. DVD 4982

Take an in-depth laugh-a-minute tour of complex issues like Canadian native identity, politics and racism, and wrap them neatly inside one-liners, guffaws and comedic performances. Native American comedians discuss Native American humor as they hilariously overturn the conventional notion of the "stoic Indian" and shine a light on an overlooked element of Native culture -- humour and its healing powers. 2000. 55 min. Video/C MM188

Religion and Magic.

While all cultures exhibit religious practices and beliefs, the forms taken are diverse. The animism practiced by American Indians, the mixture of ancient religion and Roman Catholicism among the Highland Maya, the ritual of Eka Dasa Rudra among the Balinese and successful and unsuccessful modern movements serve to illustrate the thesis. 30 min. Video/C 578

Return of the Country.

Native American and White relationships examined through a series of stereotypical role-playing. 15 min. Video/C 2007

Richard Nelson

Writer, anthropologist and environmental activist, Richard Nelson has spent 25 years studying the relationship between Native people in Alaska and their environment. Here Mr. Nelson reads from his works "The Island Within" and "Heart and Blood," followed by an interview with ethnobotanist and natural history writer Gary Nabhan.
Recorded on April 14, 1998. 60 min. Video/C 9041

Rocks with Wings

This documentary traces the journey of the Shiprock Lady Chieftains basketball team, largely Navaho, whose new coach (Jerry Richardson) led them from a group of girls who expected to lose to the position of state champions, meanwhile learning to overcome the differences in race, gender and cultural heritage that divided them to achieve a sense of pride and accomplishment for themselves, their team and their community. A film by Rick Derby. 2001. 113 min. DVD X6885

[Singer, Beverly] Beverly Singer (Tewa-Dine)

Features an interview with award winning independent filmaker Beverly Singer, a native American of Tewa and Navao heritage. She is interviewed in her home at the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico where she discusses her filmmaking and presents her life story in a first person narrative that is personal and insightful. Includes excerpts from five of her films. 2004. 27 min. DVD 9779

Snaketown

Uses live action, aerial perspectives, and artists' recreations to explore the archeological excavation of Snaketown, a Hohokam Indian farming village in the Arizona desert. Originally released in 1969. 40 min. Video/C MM548

The Spirit of the Mask.

This documentary explores the spiritual and psychological powers of the masks used by Northwest Coast native peoples. It features dramatic, rarely-seen ceremonies as well as commentary by important Indian spiritual leaders, and relates how these traditions were historically repressed by Christian Europeans. The program also considers the role of masks in other cultures and examines the meaning of tribal art both to indigenous cultures and to the contemporary West. Produced and directed by Peter von Puttkamer. c1992. 50 min. Video/C MM797

Presents, in its entirety, the second and final night of a healing ceremony held by the Kashaya group of the Southwestern Pomo Indians. Shows how on the first night, while the shaman was in a hypnotic trance, the patient's pain was located and the germs removed from his body. Recorded at the Kashia Reservation near Stewarts Point, California June 1, 1963. 50 min. Video/C 7868

Sun, Moon & Feather.

A film by Jane Zipp, Bob Rosen. A musical comedy/documentary about three Native American sisters growing up in Brooklyn during the 1930s and 1940s. Lisa, Gloria and Muriel Miguel have been performing their family stories professionally for more than a decade in a presentational style rich in humor and with an elemental power that recalls the spirit of American Indian myths. The film blends documentary (including excerpts from home movies shot over a thirty-year period), musical theater (song and dance reenactments of family and tribal stories), and personal memoir. 1989. 26 min. Video/C 7327

The Sun Dagger.

Describes the discovery of a celestial calendar in the Chaco Canyon in New Mexico which was constructed more than 1,000 years ago by the Anasazi Indians. Describes the complex workings of the calendar and the culture of the Indians who built it. 59 min. Video/C 518

The Sweat of the Sun.

Visits various sites of ancient Inca and Aztec splendor and examines gold artifacts that escaped the pillaging of the Spanish conquerors. Discusses the significance of these objects and describes how they were used by Aztec and Inca priests in practical and ritual fashion. 52 min. Video/C 178

The Syphilis Enigma.

Scientists have generally believed that Columbus' expedition brought syphilis back to Europe with it. But now, the discovery in Europe of a pre-Columbian body with definite signs of syphilis has archeologist Charlotte Roberts convinced that syphilis existed in the Old World long before Columbus ever set sail. Originally presented as a segment on the television program Secrets of the dead.
60 min. Video/C 8596

[Tallchief, Maria] Maria Tallchief

Maria Tallchief and her sister Marjorie came from the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, and as children trained as both pianists and dancers. Marjorie began a ballet career in Europe, and Maria became America's first home-grown prima ballerina. As her career flourished, her partnership with George Balanchine coincided with the founding of the New York City Ballet, and of a new style of dance and dancer. This documentary, using interviews and archival dance footage, looks at her life and career, at how her heritage informed her dancing, and at what it means to be "a Balanchine dancer." 2007. 57 min. DVD 9888

Thieves of Time.

Introduction by Tony Hillerman. Traces the history of our country's fascination with Indian burial grounds and the recent legislation governing the ownership and study of our nation's past. 30 min. Video/C 3060

Transitions: Destruction of a Mother Tongue

This film by Blackfeet producers explores the relationship between language, thought, and culture, and examines the impact of language loss in Native American communities. The film chronicles the disappearance of the Blackfeet tribal language during the period of 1890-1990, with analysis of why the Mother tongue was destroyed. 1991. 30 min. Video/C 7226

Examines the role of two-spirit people in the Navajo culture in the context of the story of a gay youth named Fred Martinez. Martinez was a n?adleeh?i or a male-bodied person with a feminine essence, who was murdered in a hate crime at the age of sixteen. Discusses the traditional Native American perspective on gender and sexuality and the need for a balanced interrelationship between the feminine and masculine. Directed by Lydia Nibley. Dist.: Cinema Guild. 2009. 62 min. DVD X3242

Qaggiq: A late-winter Inuit camp in the 1930's. Four families build a qaggiq, a large communal igloo, to celebrate the coming of spring with games, singing and drum dancing. A young man seeks a wife. The girl's father says no, but her mother says yes... Nunaqpa: Summer in the 1930's. For Igloolik Inuit, it is the time of nunaqpa, 'going inland,' the long walk in search of summer-fat caribou to cache enough meat for the hard winter ahead. Two families leave for the hunt, while the old couple waits by the shore for their return... Saputi: As summer ends near Igloolik in the 1930's, three families build a saputi to trap fish going upriver for the winter. The days are getting shorter and young people daydream while waiting for the fish to come. But nature is not always predictable... Video/C 9195

Nanugiurutiga: Tales of hunting one of the most feared and respected animals in the Arctic: the polar bear, or nanuq. An Igloolik elder recounts stories about hunting polar bears in the old days. A young boy, the 11-year old son of Zacharias Kunuk, is taught by his grandfather to capture his first bear. Ajainaa!: Features Igloolik elders discussing their views of contemporary Inuit life. Topics include the role of Inuit and Southern forms of education, survival strategies (such as how to save a drowning victim), and the differences between camp and settlement life. Artcirq: Working and training together over the course of two summers, a group of students from Montreal's National Circus School and local Inuit youth from Igloolik produce a unique circus performance which marries Inuit traditions with classic elements of the Big Top. Video/C 9196

The Native American experience is portrayed in conversations with Gerald Vizenor. Drawing on his Ojibwa heritage, the effects of his father's murder, his intermittent formal education, and his need to reconcile the tribal past with the political present, Vizenor has, poem by poem and novel by novel, constructed an impressive oeuvre that marks him as among the most intellectually challenging writers of the Native American renaissance. 1995. 48 min. Video/C 5606

Where People Lived Legends: American Indian Myths

(Transformations of Myth Through Time). The series consists of lectures made by Joseph Campbell from 1982 through 1984. In this segment Mr. Campbell discusses the mythologies of the American Indians. This episode also includes, "In the Beginning: origins of man and myth" examining the origins of spiritual life and the mystery of life. 60 min. Video/C 1628